South Africa’s minerals minister Gwede Mantashe addressed the media, on Wednesday, in response to allegations of impropriety in his past dealings with the notorious Bosasa, a former Correctional Services contractor now trading as African Global Operations.
Gwede Mantashe issues statement on Bosasa scandal
This week, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo released the third part of the State Capture report, part of which dealt with the likelihood of the ANC chairperson’s culpability in shoddy dealings with Bosasa.
In the report, it was found that Mantashe’s home in Boksburg received security upgrades — he was ANC secretary-general at the time — commissioned by former Bosasa chairperson Papa Leshabane.
The material gain from his relationship with Bosasa coincidentally occurred when the contractor was the Correctional Service Department’s preferred supplier in tenders amounting to billions of rand.
Mantashe, however, brushed off the allegations noted in the State Capture report and stressed that Leshabane’s gesture was a kind contribution made by “a family friend.”
“Papa Leshabane is a family friend and had been to Cala for a lot of workings [traditional ceremonies] and that’s where I learned to sing Pedi songs. There has been an ongoing relationship and I refer to him as a family friend,” Mantashe maintained.
The minerals minister made it clear he had no intentions to step aside and allow for further investigations to exonerate him from any wrongdoing.
In fact, Mantashe noted that his legal team will submit the State Capture report for judicial review since, in his opinion, “it is struggling to link me to anything.”
“I will not at this stage avail myself to the specifics of the findings as this is a matter that requires legal scrutiny, which is something I am now preparing myself for with my legal team, for the eventuality of the supposed investigation recommended in the report,” the minister said.