Mantashe's security upgrades cost R650K, Agrizzi estimates
29 March 2019
Security upgrades at three of the homes belonging to ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe were valued at a massive R650 000, according to the estimates of Angelo Agrizzi, former Bosasa chief operations officer.
"Chair, the payments were covered up in cash, but I would estimate that an installation of that size would be R650 000 on all three sites," Agrizzi told state capture commission of inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Bosasa, now known as African Global Operations, allegedly bribed top ANC leaders in exchange for lucrative government tenders.
Agrizzi remained adamant that Bosasa paid for the installations at Mantashe's properties.
"Without a shadow of doubt, all of those installations were paid for by Bosasa and not a director, as alluded to," he said. The identity of the director he mentioned was not clarified.
The former Bosasa executive claimed that CEO Gavin Watson attempted to keep him out of the loop when it came to the upgrades but eventually conceded that the company had been involved.
"Papa Leshabane (Bosasa head of security) said he arranged it with Gavin Watson.
"I confronted him (Watson). He denied it first, then he eventually admitted that he authorised it," Agrizzi said.
When probed by evidence leader, advocate Paul Pretorius, about the motive behind the security upgrades, Agrizzi responded that they were due to his position within the governing party.
"At first, Gavin [Watson] was elusive, but he said that it was done because Mantashe is a brilliant connection to have. He was the secretary general of the ANC at the time," he said.
Mantashe previously rejected Agrizzi's claims, saying that he had "no dealings with Bosasa".
In February 2019, Mantashe went as far as inviting journalists on a tour of his homes in Boksburg, Gauteng, as well as Cala and Elliot in the Eastern Cape
His aim was to point out that there was no electric fencing - just the cameras, which he paid nothing for. Neither, it turns out, did the ANC (which was in charge of his security at the time), News24 earlier reported.
The inquiry resumes on Monday.
