Bosasa distances itself from donation to Ramaphosa’s campaign
Its director has underlined the fact that the company did not pay the amount, as earlier reported, but it was the CEO's personal donation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is seen reacting to the new Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams during the swearing in of her new position, 22 November 2018, Union Buildings Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
African Global Operations, formally known as Bosasa, has come out to explain their link to the Ramaphosa family.
Its director, Papa Leshabane, speaking on eNCA, said the money was not on behalf of the company but rather a personal donation from CEO Gavin Watson.
Ramaphosa recently backtracked on a parliamentary explanation about the R500,000 the company was alleged to have paid his son Andile.
Speaking on why they’re no longer called Bosasa, Leshabane explained the name change and said the company had a plan of expanding globally and that was one of the reasons for the name change.
He admitted to being in business with different departments in governments for more than 10 years.
“The type of work we do is niche.”
He elaborated on his relationship with the different departments, particularly the department of home affairs, for which they provided a facility that houses undocumented migrants, and the department of social development, for which they provide services for awaiting-trial detainees; and they installed security for Airports Company South Africa.
He said their controversial contract with the correctional service department had ended.
Asked if African Global Operations had made R10 billion from government, Leshabane said no, adding that the amount had been sensationalised by reports.
He clarified the R500,000, which was paid for the ANC’s presidential campaign, saying it had been donated by the Watson family in their personal capacity.
Leshabane fielded further questions on his organisation’s link to the ANC and government entities. He said his company had submitted more than 400 tender requests but had only bagged nine, an indication that they, like any other organisations, were conducting business fairly.
“We [don’t just] donate to the ANC,” he said. Their organisation had made numerous donations to other organisations too,” he claimed.
Leshabane mentioned that there were more than 200 companies who donated to the ANC and he found it strange that it was his organisation in particular that was being hounded.
The director confirmed they had installed security in prominent ANC leaders Thabang Makwetla and Gwede Mantashe’s homes.
He later elaborated on Ramaphosa’s son Andile’s link to African Global Operations. Andile has been contracted to the company since February 2017 as a “business facilitator”.
The president’s son apparently goes to the African market and recruits contacts for the company.
This was all in the plan for the organisation’s growth, according to Leshabane.
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