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Bosasa Contract Details with Ramaphosa must be released

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Dear MyPE

In Monday’s Oral Question Session to the President in the National Assembly (NA), I asked President Ramaphosa whether he had any knowledge of an alleged R500 000 payment to his son, Andile Ramaphosa, from Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson. President Ramaphosa responded by confirming the payment, but that his son had explained it as a payment received for legitimate “consulting” services. He further said that there is a contract between his son and Bosasa for these services.

[Editor: Bosasa recently rebranded as African Global – see below]

This raises more questions than answers. This matter urgently requires a full explanation and clarification from the President and his family.

The President should therefore:

  • Tell the public what “consulting services” his son, Andile Ramaphosa, rendered to Bosasa;
  • Release the contract between his son and Bosasa, which he claims to have seen; and
  • Clarify why, if this payment was legitimate, it was made to a trust account and not to his son’s business account.

Bosasa has secured several lucrative contracts with government departments and entities – including the Departments of Justice, Correctional Services and Airports Company South Africa – worth over R10 billion over the next decade.

On the 14 September this year, the DA laid criminal charges against ANC MP Vincent Smith; Mineral Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe; Communications Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane; former SAA Chairperson, Dudu Myeni; Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Thabang Makwetla; in accordance with the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act for receiving security upgrades and other benefits from Bosasa and Watson. Former PRASA procurement manager, Mbulelo Gingcana, and former Correctional Services, Linda Mti, also stand among the ranks of implicated ANC officials.

For the ANC, rich and connected “insiders” continue to unfairly benefit at the expense of poor and unemployed “outsiders”. Jacob Zuma’s family and children benefited corruptly from his Presidency. We cannot continue down this path in the Ramaphosa presidency. We will continue to seek transparency and accountability from connected politicians and their families.

Regards

Mmusi Maimane
Leader of the Democratic Alliance

About Gavin Watson:

Gavin Watson
Gavin Watson

The BOSASSA [African Global]  Group has ties to Port Elizabeth via the Group CEO, Gavin Watson who founded the group. The beleaguered Eastern Provice Rugby CEO, Cheeky Watson is Gavin’s brother.

Other directors of the BOSASA Group include: Papa Leshabane – Executive Director, Chairman – Joe Gumede, Ishmael Mncwaba, Itumaleng Moraba, Carol Oliveria, Thandi Makoko, Munirah Oliveria and Jackie Leyds. Angelo Agrizzi is the COO and Andries van Tonder the CFO.

Gavin Watson, has close links with the governing ANC through his family’s anti-apartheid struggle credentials and his brothers’ post-1994 business interests.

Read more: http://mype.co.za/new/the-mti-watson-bosasa-connection/71328/2016/06

The Struggle against Apartheid:

In January 1987, one of the Watson brothers, controversial white anti-apartheid activists, was convicted of arson and fraud, but two others were acquitted after a trial that the brothers described as a government effort to curb their political activities.

Valence M. Watson, 34, was found guilty of ordering two black employees to burn down the family’s Park Drive home in October, 1985, in what the prosecution called a plot to get about $280,000 (Editor: Around R560 000 as the rand dollar exchange rate in 1985 was 2:1) in insurance to pay off the debts of the brothers’ failing clothing stores.

Magistrate Gert Steyn, president of the Port Elizabeth regional court, said there was insufficient direct evidence to prove that either Ronald J. Watson, 36, or Daniel J. Watson, 32, was involved. But he indicated that he believes they were.

All three brothers had denied the charges. Valence, who reasserted his innocence after the verdict on Thursday, told the court in testimony earlier this month that the family members believed that the police were persecuting them because of their strong stand against apartheid and their close association over the past decade with militant black leaders in Eastern Cape province.

Read More: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-30/news/mn-1789_1_watson-brothers

Read more about the Watsons and their struggle whilst playing rugby here: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/sport/the-struggle-continues-for-watson-sons-572847

About BOSASA / African Global:

Bosasa is a Krugersdorp-based company, born out of the ANC Women’s League’s investment firm Dyambu Holdings.

Bosasa recently rebranded as African Global:

The African Global Group of Companies consists of:

  • African Global
  • Blackrox
  • Kgwera
  • GTS
  • Watson Corporate Academy
  • Lindela
  • TrustMaster
  • IntelloVate
Gavin Watson - African Global
Gavin Watson – African Global
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Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.