President Cyril Ramaphosa’s son Andile on Wednesday dropped a bombshell when he admitted he was paid R2 million by Bosasa.
The company is facing crippling corruption allegations, and Andile’s admission could embarrass his father.
“It was a severe oversight on our part,” Andile told News24 of a R230 000-a-month deal his company signed with the Bosasa group in December 2017.
Bosasa, which is now African Global Operations, was involved in bidding for and running lucrative government contracts.
Several suspects including the company’s former chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi appeared at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday over the alleged theft of R1.7 billion from contracts with the prisons service, reported AFP.
“It is clear now with the benefit of hindsight that our due diligence was insufficient in retrospect of my father’s role going into the Presidency,” Andile Ramaphosa told News24, while at the same time denying any wrongdoing.
His company, Blue Crane Capital, was contracted to provide advice on more than 20 public and private sector contracts in Uganda and Kenya.
There is no suggestion Andile or his company were involved in the alleged corruption at the centre of the ongoing criminal case.
Cosatu on Wednesday urged the president to act on his promise to hand over his son to law enforcement agencies.
Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said: “The ANC has created a culture of princelings. The ANC has to arrest that culture.”