Mmusi Maimane has threatened court action should President Cyril Ramaphosa fail to reply to his parliamentary question on Bosasa’s alleged donation to the African National Congress (ANC).
News24 reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader has written to Ramaphosa to “remind” him about the matter.
Letter from ANC to Bosasa
On 22 August, Maimane handed Ramaphosa a letter from ANC apparently thanking Bosasa for a R3 million donation.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who was ANC’s Treasurer at the time, signed it.
Maimane asked the president to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged donation.
Ramaphosa undertook to “reflect” on the letter and reply in due course. However, more than a month later, he hasn’t done so.
Respond, or else…
In his letter dated 20 September, Maimane asked Ramaphosa to respond “urgently” or face court action.
This is a very serious matter of accountability where many of these matters dealing with Bosasa have been discussed at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and where I have raised this issue with the Independent Electoral Commission.
Mmusi Maimane
Bosasa controversies
Bosasa, now known as African Global Operations (AGO), has been dogged by corruption allegations for years.
It has won several lucrative state tenders, mostly with the Department of Correctional Services.
Its former chief operating officer, Angelo Aggrizzi, alleged at the state capture commission of inquiry earlier this year that the company regularly bribed state and ANC officials.
Ramaphosa himself was accused by Public Protector of deliberately misleading parliament about a R500,000 donation from Bosasa’s ex-chief executive officer, the late Gavin Watson.
Watson made the donation to the CR17 campaign that propelled Ramaphosa to ANC presidency in 2017.
Ramaphosa has steadfastly denied knowing about the donation or misleading parliament. He has taken the Public Protector’s report on review.