Family can’t rule out foul play in Gavin Watson’s fatal crash

Relatives of Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson, who died in a horror crash on Monday, have confirmed they could not rule out foul play.

Watson died after the Toyota Corolla sedan he was driving collided with a concrete pillar on the road leading to the drop-off and parking sections of OR Tambo International Airport shortly after 5am.

Graphic photographs of the scene, showing Watson lying next to the car have placed the identity of the driver beyond doubt.

These images cannot be published due to their graphic nature.

The post-mortem examination is scheduled to be undertaken today (Tuesday) and is likely to disprove several conspiracies raging in the public domain.

Sources who have first-hand knowledge of discussions in the family have told News24 that they believe he was murdered.

Papa Leshabane, spokesperson for the family and Bosasa (now known as African Global Operations), would only confirm the family was not ruling out foul play.

The Watson family has appointed forensic engineer and accident reconstruction expert Konrad Lotter to probe the crash, according to the SABC.

News24 has also confirmed with two major airlines that Watson was not booked on any flights out of Johannesburg. The process of checking with other airlines is ongoing.

Earlier on Tuesday, News24 reported that R70 was found in Watson’s wallet. His ID and driver’s licence were also found by law enforcement officials.

There was no cellphone or luggage in the car. It is possible that the items were removed by thieves, or that Watson left his cellphone at home.

It is also possible that he was attending a meeting at the airport, and not actually catching a flight himself.

Photographs of the vehicle, which is registered to Bosasa, show that Watson was probably not wearing his seatbelt.

It was likely tucked behind his body, the clasp clicked into the buckle to stop the inevitable and annoying beep of the on-board computer.

His everyday car, a high-performance BMW X5, was parked at Bosasa’s offices in Krugersdorp. It apparently had a mechanical fault. Watson had taken the Corolla for the weekend, apparently after a prayer meeting with other staff on Sunday.

Asked whether Watson had ever driven a Toyota Corolla in the past, Bosasa’s former fleet manager Frans Vorster said: “Never… I was personally responsible for his cars. If his (luxury) vehicles were in for a service, I had to rent a similar model for him to drive with.”

Meanwhile, it was revealed on Monday that Watson was scheduled to appear before an inquiry into his and Bosasa’s tax affairs.

News24 understands that the inquiry, led by advocate Piet Marais SC, was supposed to hear from Watson for the first time as part of a SARS probe into his tax compliance.

The inquiry flows from testimony given at the state capture commission of inquiry and it started some weeks ago.

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