'I have absolutely nothing to do with this. I have never received such a payment,' says Andile Ramaphosa (SABC Screenshot)
Bosasa has replied to Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane, denying the existence of a contract with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s son, Andile Ramaphosa.
Maimane filed a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to the company, after Ramaphosa acknowledged the existence of a contract during a question session in Parliament, before backtracking on its nature.
Ramaphosa would later clarify that the contract was not with his son, but was rather a R500 000 donation to his campaign to run for ANC president.
“There exists no record that fits the description ‘contract and invoice for R500 000 financial consulting services provided by the President’s son, Andile Ramaphosa to Bosasa (now African Global Operations),” chairperson Joe Gumede wrote to Maimane on Friday.
The DA also requested access to any dealings the company had had with the president’s son.
“African Global declines to furnish this record as the record is not required by you for the exercise or protection of any right,” Gumede said in response.
In a statement on Sunday, Maimane said the second half of the company’s response was a “blanket refusal” to give access to any contracts between Ramaphosa Jr and Bosasa.
“Bosasa and the Ramaphosa’s are hiding something and we will get to the bottom of it,” Maimane charged.
The opposition party has since begun its process on seeking legal advice on available recourse, saying the acknowledgement that Bosasa donated to Ramaphosa’s party campaign “cannot be ignored”.
Maimane called for an independent inquiry headed by a retired judge to investigate the Bosasa scandal.
On November 6, Ramaphosa told the National Assembly that his son had done business with the company, following an urgent question from Maimane on an affidavit the DA leader had seen.
Then on November 16, Ramaphosa backtracked on the response he gave before the National Assembly.
He said the October 2017 payment was actually a donation towards his ANC presidential campaign, which he said was made without his knowledge.
This emerged in a letter Ramaphosa drafted to the speaker of the National Assembly, dated November 14, which stated that he inadvertently provided incorrect information in his response to Maimane’s Parliamentary question.
His team said they would pay back the amount in full. The company meanwhile said the donation was made by its CEO Gavin Watson, and not by the company itself.
The Hawks meanwhile said in November that its investigation into Bosasa for alleged offences dating between 2004 and 2007, will be concluded this month. — News24