/ 27 November 2018

Mantashe sticks to his guns over Bosasa saga

Gwede Mantashe was among other senior ANC members revealed to have accepted similar security upgrades to their homes.
Gwede Mantashe was among other senior ANC members revealed to have accepted similar security upgrades to their homes. (David Harrison/M&G)

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe is sticking to his guns over security upgrades at three of his homes by corruption-accused facilities management company, Bosasa.

This is after Bosasa executive Papa Leshabane contradicted Mantashe’s version during an eNCA interview on Friday morning.

Mantashe, who is also ANC national chairperson, previously denied aspects of a News24 report in September that detailed how a Bosasa employee, in a sworn statement, admitted to installing CCTV cameras and electric fencing at Mantashe’s properties in Boksburg, as well as in Elliot and Cala in the Eastern Cape, worth roughly R150 000.

Mantashe was among other senior ANC members revealed to have accepted similar security upgrades to their homes, including Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, Deputy Correctional Services Minister Thabang Makwetla and ANC MP Vincent Smith.

READ MORE: Bosasa saga: DA calls for full-scale investigation

Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa head of procurement Mbulelo Gingcana and former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti round off the list.

All those involved have denied impropriety.

In September, Mantashe denied knowledge that Bosasa had been responsible for the installations, saying his ANC security team had dealt with the “procurement”. He also denied that electric fencing had been installed, and disputed the value of installed CCTV systems.

Even if Bosasa had conducted the installation, Mantashe said, it would not be an issue. He said on Monday that he stood by this version.

He continued with his denials to News24 and, later the same day, September 30, appeared on 702 Talk Radio’s Xolani Gwala Show, where he repeated the denials.

On Friday, however, Leshabane said during a live interview with eNCA that Mantashe had called him for assistance, casting doubt on the minister’s version.

“You know, Papa [Leshabane] is lying. If he had said he had spoken with my security team, I would have been fine with that,” Mantashe said on Monday.

Leshabane has also since done an about-turn.

“With regards to security upgrades at Minister Mantashe’s home, I would like to put it on record that I was called upon to assist by his security detail. I reiterate that I never interacted with Mr Mantashe directly,” he said via text message. — News 24