Bosasa made large donations to the ANC’s top six – Agrizzi

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi said on Thursday at the commission of inquiry into state capture that Bosasa had made large donations to government officials, including some to the top six of the governing party.

Agrizzi claimed he is aware of cheques of up to R12 million sent to the ANC top six, prompting Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to tell him that he must produce evidence to back up this claim.

Justice Zondo told Agrizzi that if he can’t produce documents to back up this claim himself, he must approach the commission’s legal team who can assist him.

Former ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize later confirmed that the governing ANC had accepted donations from Bosasa despite the company being implicated in wrongdoing in a Special Investigating Unit report.

Agrizzi said he knew of cheques delivered to the ANC top six, though he did not specify whether the cheques were made out to the party or individual members of the top six at the time, which included then ANC President Jacob Zuma, then Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, then secretary general Gwede Mantashe and his deputy Jesse Duarte, then chairwoman Baleka Mbete and Mkhize.

“What the honourable chair has said is true. There are large donations. I know of large donations given to the top 6 at one stage of 10 to R12 million cheques that were taken there,” Agrizzi said.

According to Agrizzi, the Watson family was the most politically connected family in South Africa.

Agrizzi said whenever he raised concerns about Bosasa’s links to politicians with the Watsons he was told to let it go and threatened that Valence Watson’s children were close to then president Jacob Zuma’s children. Valence Watson is the brother of the company’s CEO, Gavin.

Agrizzi said the family ensured it was politically connected, which was a concern for him because he was testifying at the commission.

ALSO READ: Agrizzi’s life under threat, police tell state capture commission

Among those linked to the company is Minister of Environmental Affairs Nomvula Mokonyane.

On Thursday, Agrizzi repeated testimony on how Gavin Watson maintained a relationship with Mokonyane because she was powerful and politically connected.

Agrizzi further gave testimony on how the company set up ANC election “war rooms” at their Krugersdorp HQ over the past three elections, to the tune of R6 million.

The war rooms were revealed in a report published by News24, which was accompanied by video footage as evidence.

Agrizzi told the commission that a number of ministers and MECs visited the war rooms and that Bosasa had set up a branding division which could print banners within 30 minutes.

“Everybody knew, it was a massive campaign,” Agrizzi said.

ALSO READ: IEC to investigate ANC’s ‘Bosasa-funded election war rooms’ – DA

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the commission, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo questioned why despite the fact that there had been media reports on allegations around Bosasa government contracts, these had not been cancelled, which Agrizzi said was proof of how “powerful” the Watson family was.

Zondo further questioned whether senior government officials who were aware of “the things” Bosasa did for the governing party would turn a blind eye.

DCJ Zondo probes how Bosasa managed to continue to get contracts while the company was known to be corrupted
Agrizzi says it's the power that Watsons have. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) March 28, 2019

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(Additional reporting, ANA)

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