President Ramaphosa must ensure his son’s contract with controversial Bosasa is publicly released

6 November 2018

In today’s Oral Question Session to the President in the National Assembly (NA), I asked President Ramaphosa whether he had any knowledge of an alleged R500 000 payment to his son, Andile Ramaphosa, from Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson. President Ramaphosa responded by confirming the payment, but that his son had explained it as a payment received for legitimate “consulting" services. He further said that there is a contract between his son and Bosasa for these services.

This raises more questions than answers. This matter urgently requires a full explanation and clarification from the President and his family.

The President should therefore:

Tell the public what "consulting services” his son, Andile Ramaphosa, rendered to Bosasa;

Release the contract between his son and Bosasa, which he claims to have seen; and

Clarify why, if this payment was legitimate, it was made to a trust account and not to his son’s business account.

Bosasa has secured several lucrative contracts with government departments and entities - including the Departments of Justice, Correctional Services and Airports Company South Africa - worth over R10 billion over the next decade.

On the 14 September this year, the DA laid criminal charges against ANC MP Vincent Smith; Mineral Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe; Communications Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane; former SAA Chairperson, Dudu Myeni; Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Thabang Makwetla; in accordance with the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act for receiving security upgrades and other benefits from Bosasa and Watson. Former PRASA procurement manager, Mbulelo Gingcana, and former Correctional Services, Linda Mti, also stand among the ranks of implicated ANC officials.

For the ANC, rich and connected “insiders” continue to unfairly benefit at the expense of poor and unemployed “outsiders”. Jacob Zuma's family and children benefited corruptly from his Presidency. We cannot continue down this path in the Ramaphosa presidency. We will continue to seek transparency and accountability from connected politicians and their families.

Issued by Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 6 November 2018