Pretoria chief magistrate Desmond Nair has been implicated in the fast growing Bosasa scandal unfolding at the State capture commission of inquiry.
Nair allegedly accepted the installation of R200 000 worth of security systems at his Pretoria home, including a full electric fence and CCTV and alarm systems.
This was revealed by Bosasa employee Richard le Roux, who testified before the commission on Thursday. Le Roux, who was issued with a summons to appear before the commission, works for Global Technology Systems, a subsidiary of Bosasa previously known as Sondolo IT.
Le Roux could not confirm the position held by Nair, but News24 has been informed by a Bosasa source with knowledge of the matter, that his reference was to the chief magistrate in Pretoria.
Bosasa is now known as African Global Operations.
The majority of Le Roux’s testimony was taken up with evidence surrounding "special projects" undertaken by Le Roux on instruction of various Bosasa directors, including CEO Gavin Watson, the chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi, as well as Trevor Mathenjwa, Syvion Dlamini and Papa Leshabane.
The special projects entailed the installation of security systems, including electric fencing, CCTV and alarm systems at various homes of politicians and government officials around the country.
This includes Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, current Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe (at the time ANC secretary general), former SAA chair Dudu Myeni, deputy minister of Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla, ANC MP Vincent Smith and the one-time procurement manager at Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Mbulelo Gingcana.
Gingcana was seconded to Prasa at the time, but is employed full-time by the Civil Aviation Authority. Long-time Bosasa ally, former Correctional Services commissioner Linda Mti was also on the receiving end of installations at two of his properties in the Eastern Cape.
News24 first reported on the installations in September last year, all paid for by Bosasa.
Le Roux’s evidence before the commission on Thursday corroborated the allegations and News24 reports over what the installations consisted of:
- CCTV and recording systems, and perimeter lighting for mineral resources minister Mantashe’s house in Boksburg and homes in Cala and Elliot in the Eastern Cape, valued at R300 000;
- An electric fence, alarm system, CCTV system and computer server worth R350 000 for Makwetla’s home;
- A R150 000 alarm and CCTV system for Gingcana’s Randburg home;
- Electric fencing, CCTV and an alarm system worth R250 000 for Myeni’s Richards Bay home;
- R350 000 worth of work – including 4km of electric fencing and perimeter lighting, and alarm system repairs – to two of Mti’s properties, in Colchester and Greenbushes outside Port Elizabeth; and
- Electric fencing and a CCTV system worth R200 000 at Smith’s Roodepoort home.
Le Roux told the commission that all the costs were borne by Bosasa and paid for in cash, so as to avoid a money trail.
He recounted how he met Myeni in the kitchen of her home to provide feedback on the work he and his team were busy with, and how Watson told him to ensure that every request by Mokonyane was dealt with as a priority.
The initial work at Mokonyane’s Krugersdorp property included fixing the pool pump, which was causing "the pool to go green all the time" and cleaning up the garden, along with the installation of new security systems and work on electrical issues.
He was instructed to remove serial numbers from the equipment installed, and to avoid a situation where it could be traced back to Bosasa.