Bosasa payment was for ANC presidency campaign – Cyril

Ramaphosa backtracks on R500 000 deposited in son’s bank account

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has surprisingly backtracked on his reply in Parliament that the R500 000 deposited into his son’s account by Bosasa was for a business service.

In an about-turn yesterday, Ramaphosa said the money was for his campaign conducted last year when he was contesting to be ANC president. However, he said this was done without his knowledge by his son, Andile.

During a question and answer session in Parliament three weeks ago, DA leader Mmusi Maimane asked Ramaphosa about his knowledge on the R500 000 deposited into his son’s account.

Maimane produced an affidavit by former Bosasa official Petrus Stephanus Venter that he was forced by Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson to deposit the money into Andile’s trust account.

Maimane said yesterday Ramaphosa had to come clean on his dealings with Bosasa.

Ramaphosa in turn said he wanted to make a correction to a follow-up question by Maimane in Parliament regarding his son’s business dealings with Bosasa.

The president confirmed that his son was doing business with the business management organisation for which he is a consultant.

However, he said his business was for the rest of Africa and not South Africa, adding that this was to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

“Since my reply in the National Assembly, I have sought to get more information regarding this matter. I have been subsequently informed that the payment referred to in the supplementary question by the leader of the opposition does not relate to that contract,” stated Ramaphosa in a letter to Speaker Baleka Mbete.

“I have been told that the payment to which the leader of the opposition referred was made on behalf of Mr Gavin Woods into a trust account that was used to raise funds for a campaign established to support my candidature for the presidency of the ANC.”

Ramaphosa said this donation was made without his knowledge and was not aware of this fact when he appeared in Parliament to answer questions three weeks ago.

The country’s first citizen is the latest ANC leader to be drawn into Bosasa.

Maimane said a full investigation was needed into this.

“The fact is that this requires a full investigation into the Ramaphosa family’s relationship with Bosasa.

“This investigation should cover all payments made to any member of the Ramaphosa family from Bosasa and African Global Operations and should cover the business relationship between Bosasa and the president’s son. The president should come clean and disclose all payments received by him, his family and his campaign by Bosasa,” said Maimane.

“We need to find out: Did Ramaphosa solicit the donation?

Are the contracts awarded to Bosasa payback for their support for the president and his family? These questions can only be answered by a full investigation in to Ramaphosa’s family dealings with Bosasa.”

Top ANC politicians have been accused of receiving benefits from Bosasa for a number of years.

The company was recently said to have installed security systems at the houses of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and the Communications Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane.