Nomvula Mokonyane does not deny Bosasa supported ANC initiatives

Former minister of environmental affairs Nomvula Mokonyane has denied most of the allegations made by former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi linking her to the controversial company.

However, Mokonyane said she could not deny that Bosasa had on a number of occasions supported the governing party’s initiatives.

During his explosive testimony at the commission of inquiry into state capture last year, Agrizzi told the inquiry’s chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that Bosasa had on numerous occasions funded the ANC’s election rallies and party lekgotlas, during some instances, on instruction from Mokonyane and that the company had run the governing party’s call centre for the 2014 elections.

On the witness stand at the commission, Mokonyane on Monday called on Agrizzi to substantiate the influence he implied through such allegations and denied that Bosasa had funded the ANC’s rallies and lekgotla’s on her instruction.

ALSO READ: Bosasa maintained ties with Mokonyane because she was ‘powerful’ – Agrizzi

“Chairperson, again, I actually realised I forgot the constitution of the ANC,” Mokonyane said, explaining that fundraising for the governing party is the responsibility of its fundraising committee chaired by the Treasurer General, a position she has never held.

“For the record, I can’t deny that Bosasa has come out to support the ANC’s initiatives,” Mokonyane added, further explaining that the company had not done so because she had requested that it does but had done so like any other business, including a state-owned enterprise such as Telkom, that that publicly supports the governing party.

She added that the ANC is transparent about its fundraising initiatives.

Mokonyane said Bosasa has sponsored the ANC at national, provincial and regional levels, explaining that no one individual member of the governing party fundraiser for party events and that those who provide sponsorships are then thanked thereafter.

The former minister said Agrizzi’s allegations sought to make her “the alpha and omega of the ANC, never”.

Mokonyane told Zondo that she has known the Watson family, the late Gavin Watson was the CEO of the now liquidated Bosasa, “pre-democracy”, having known Ronnie Watson first.

She said the Watson family had assisted the ANC before it became a governing party and before Bosasa was established.

“I also know their generosity when there was no tender,” Mokonyane said, adding that the Watson family are members of the governing party.

It was not only Bosasa that had supported, sponsored or funded ANC initiatives and events but also an SOE, those in the private sector, Mokonyane pointed out, adding that such support was not reserved to the tenure of the party’s former president Jacob Zuma, who is alleged to have played a role in state capture, but during the tenures of his predecessors, namely, Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe.

Mokonyane told Zondo that she is aware of the call centre that Bosasa ran on behalf of the ANC.

The former minister refuted Agrizzi’s testimony that Bosasa had paid for her 50th birthday, saying his testimony was incorrect with the venue where the celebrations were held.

“Once more, this is a false assertion,” Mokonyane said, adding that she turned 50 in 2013 and that her birthday celebrations had not been themed ‘break a leg’, as Agrizzi had testified.

“I’ve never been in a meeting with Mr Agrizzi,” Mokonyane told Zondo, further saying she does not have a personal relationship with him and so would not have met him even on a social basis, as he had testified.

Mokonyane further denied meeting Agrizzi at the Bosasa office park but she told Zondo that she had attended meetings at the premises because the ANC had interests with the company.

Agrizzi had alleged that at some of these meetings at the Bosasa office park, the investigation by the Special Investigating Unit into the company had been discussed.

“I deny that, I have nothing to do with the SIU or any authority,” Mokonyane said.

Mokonyane also denied that Bosasa had purchased Christmas groceries for her and family, adding that her house did not have the capacity to store the items Agrizzi had listed in testimony.

She told Zondo that she did, however, know of donations Bosasa had made to communities in the Westrand and “not for my personal benefit”, where she would be invited as a community member and not only as a public representative, adding that Agrizzi may have possibly been referring to such instances.

“Chairperson, there was one instance where they brought things [at my house] because the Kagiso community hall was under construction,” Mokonyane said, explaining that these goods were then taken by community members and prepared by them.

Mokonyane denied Agrizzi’s allegation that Bosasa paid for a marquee tent, carpets, refreshments, for her son’s funeral, among others, telling Zondo that she took exception and offence at this claim which sought to make her and her family look irresponsible for failing to bury their own.

She added that whatever contribution Bosasa made towards the funeral was “not on the basis” Agrizzi was implying and was no different to the numerous other contributions that were made by others at the time.

Mokonyane told Zondo that her personal assistant, Sandy Thomas, had contacted Bosasa on instruction from her late husband so the company could assist with a faulty alarm as her service provider was not available at the time.

She told Zondo that her daughter and Gavin Watson had an agreement as adults which did not involve her, in response to Agrizzi’s testimony that Bosasa had hired an Audi A3 for her daughter.

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