‘Stout kinders’ at Bosasa youth centres used to call Gavin Watson ‘Tata’ – Papa Leshabane

“Stout kinders” at Bosasa’s various youth centres in South Africa used to call former Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson “Tata”, according to Bosasa spokesperson Papa Leshabane.

Watson’s memorial service was held earlier on Friday where eulogies from family, friends and colleagues were presented in memory of Watson and his life.

Watson’s life came to an abrupt end when he crashed a Bosasa Toyota Corolla into a concrete pillar near OR Tambo International Airport on Monday.

Leshabane, Bosasa executive director, introduced colleagues who were to speak about the charity work Watson did, saying it was not a PR job.

Watson’s housekeeper then spoke about Watson and his family, saying they were like family to her.

A Bosasa crèche teacher also spoke briefly, saying Bosasa trained the teachers for the job for free.

Leshabane said that Bosasa owned a number of crèches across the country, adding that children at the youth centres would call Watson “Tata”.

“Show me one chief executive officer who has time for stout kinders (naughty children),” said Leshabane.

Finally, an ex-Bosasa Youth Centre inmate, who said his name was Tami, said Watson would often visit them and he never knew whether Watson was the boss or an average Joe.

“He would address us in Xhosa,” he said, saying Watson would fascinate him as a white man speaking isiXhosa.

Tami said he became very close to Watson, travelling with him to talk to school children about the dangers of drugs and crime, which they later won awards for.

“They took us from the youth centres to the head office,” he said, adding that this was the first time he heard Watson preach about God.

“I got to see another side of uTata, how much he loved the Lord,” Tami said, adding that as Watson read the bible, he would never forget the scripture.

“The only way one gets to know a person is through the things they say,” Tami said.

The memorial continues.

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