State Capture: Gwede Mantashe granted leave to grill former Bosasa COO

Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources, Gwede Mantashe has been granted leave to interrogate former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer (COO), Angelo Agrizzi at the commission of inquiry into state capture.

According to The Citizen, Chairperson of the commission, Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo granted Mantashe’s applications to provide evidence at the commission, call witnesses and cross-examine Agrizzi.

Home makeovers paid for by Bosasa

Zondo also granted Mantashe leave to cross-examine Richard Le Roux, an employee of a Bosasa subsidiary, GTS (formerly known as Sondolo IT). 

Le Roux told the commission, earlier this year, that Mantashe and former Minister of Environmental Affairs, Nomvula Mokonyane, former SAA Chair, Dudu Myeni, former Department of Correctional Services Commissioner, Linda Mti and MP Vincent Smith, all received home makeovers, paid for by Bosasa.

Zondo also granted Mbulelo Gingcana, the former Procurement Manager for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), leave to cross-examine Le Roux after he had testified at the commission, that Gingcana had also been at the receiving end of Bosasa’s alleged generosity.

Tiso Blackstar editor granted leave to give evidence

Tiso Blackstar Associate Editor, Ranjeni Munusamy was granted leave to give evidence and to cross-examine ex-crime Intelligence member, Colonel Dhanajaya Naidoo, who levelled some serious allegations. 

Naidoo’s allegations include that R40 000 was paid from a secret state security slush fund to service Munusamy’s car.

Parliament’s chair of chairs, Cedric Frolick, was also granted leave to give evidence in reaction to Agrizzi’s previous testimony, that Frolick had also allegedly received money from Bosasa.

Tlhabi’s application to cross-examine Jacob Zuma 

With regards to journalist Redi Tlhabi‘s application to give evidence and to cross-examine former President Jacob Zuma, Zondo said the former president “did not file an affidavit to oppose the application but simply filed a notice to oppose.”

Zondo directed that if Zuma wished to oppose Tlhabi’s application, he must do so in a written submission given to the commission on or before 9 December 2019.

The chairperson added that if Zuma delivered the written submission within the time frame, he would take into account the written submissions “and either announce the outcome thereof as soon as possible thereafter or invite Tlhabi if necessary, to respond to those written submissions.”

Colonel Nyameko Xaba was granted leave to address evidence in regard to the testimony of Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator Innocent Khuba. 

When the State Capture Inquiry returns, on Tuesday, 3 December, the commission will hear testimony from Mildred Oliphant, the former Minister of Labour. If the time allows, we may also hear from ex-DPSA Minister, Richard Baloyi.