ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS STATEMENT ON THE LIQUIDATION OF AFRICAN GLOBAL OPERATIONS GROUP OF COMPANIES, KNOWN AS BOSASA

Monday, 18 February, 2019

The Economic Freedom Fighters notes that the Directors of the African Global Operations Group of Companies, known as BOSASA, have announced voluntary liquidation of the company; following the revelations of their corrupt relationships with Government and subsequent closure of their bank accounts by FNB and ABSA. The EFF is aware that if nothing is done, more than 4500 jobs Of ordinary South Africans, who had nothing to do with the BOSASA corruption, will be lost.

The EFF calls on all Government Departments and State Entities, that had contracts with BOSASA, to immediately start the process of insourcing all the workers who were employed by the Company, particularly the Security Guards. Insourcing of workers is the only rational and sensible action that Government should engage in, as a matter of urgency. In the recent past, the EFF has witnessed how insourcing has improved the lives of workers in the City of Johannesburg and Wits University. Many workers who used to be paid very low salaries, are now paid decent wages and integrated into employee benefits normally applicable to full time employees.

All Government Departments and Institutions that had a relationship with BOSASA, should additionally build internal capacity to provide services that were provided by the corrupt company. The State should build capacity for catering in prisons, and should build capacity to manage and properly run all the youth rehabilitation centres that were under the management of BOSASA. All the youth centres that are owned by BOSASA should be expropriated without compensation, because they were established built, and financed through proceeds of corruption.

The EFF further calls on all the Banks to close the Banking Accounts of Steinhoff, and all Companies and Individuals, who are implicated in the fixing of South Africa's currency for private benefits. If Banks are going to enforce laws against financial crimes and corruption, they should do so with consistency. There should be equal application of laws in South Africa; and there should never be holy cows of white monopoly capitalists who are untouchable.

The EFF will write to all the Government Departments and Entities, that had contracts with BOSASA, to demand the insourcing of workers; and also demand the building of internal capacity to perform the functions that were performed by BOSASA. The EFF is aware that Vultures, like Bidvest, are waiting on the side lines to scavenge on the contracts that will be lost due to the liquidation of the BOSASA. Insourcing and building of State capacity is the only solution in this regard, and Government must not try anything else.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 18 February 2019