State denies claim that Bosasa is still getting millions a month at Lindela

A charge by Congress of the People (Cope) national spokesperson Dennis Bloem, that controversial facilities management company Bosasa still manages the Lindela Repatriation Centre – processing undocumented foreign nationals – has created a row involving the ministry of home affairs.

Bloem, who has served as correctional services portfolio committee chair while an ANC MP, yesterday dropped a bombshell with claims that Bosasa was “still contracted and continuing to milk the SA government of millions of rands every month”.

He challenged government to “come out in the open and tell the country who was managing the Lindela repatriation centre”.

In response to Bloem’s charges, home affairs ministry spokesperson Siya Qoza denied the claims, saying the repatriation centre was being managed by “an administrator appointed by the court during the Bosasa liquidation hearing”.

“As home affairs, we don’t run the Lindela repatriation centre, nor does Bosasa do so.

“We are currently looking at three options on Lindela, one of which is to purchase the land upon which the centre is built from Bosasa,” said Qoza.

Bloem, who has “information from reliable sources”, said he did not believe government’s explanation.

“They need to come clean on this with solid proof and provide the name of the administrator.

“We cannot take them at their word,” said Bloem.

Pressed by The Citizen to give more details on the work of the administrator at Lindela, Qoza said: “On that I will have to talk to the chief operating officer [COO] for information.”

Bloem, who has testified before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on how Bosasa siphoned billions out of correctional services’ questionable tenders, said he recently called on Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola to blacklist Bosasa from doing business with government departments.

“Cope made this call because of the serious corruption allegations against Bosasa and did the same before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture,” he said.

“It will be a betrayal in the fight against corruption if the allegations regarding the management of the Lindela Repatriation Centre are not addressed.

“In his evidence before the commission, Mr Angelo Agrizzi – the former COO of Bosasa – testified that the company had paid bribes to several cabinet ministers, MPs and senior government officials to get lucrative contracts.

“The damning evidence against this company cannot be ignored.

“It is Cope’s firm belief that the taxpayers need to know the truth.

“We call on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to immediately terminate this contract.”

Bloem said Cope would not hesitate to approach Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo for his intervention if government failed to take action against Bosasa.

– brians@citizen.co.za

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