Johannesburg - Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha revealed on Wednesday that he met Bosasa’s Gavin Watson in person once and stayed over at one of the company's houses in Port Elizabeth for a weekend three years ago.
Masutha made the disclosure while responding to questions posed by the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach when he led the Department of Correctional Services delegation to brief the portfolio committee on Bosasa-related contracts.
Breytenbach wanted to know if Masutha had met Watson or any of his brothers and other family members. Masutha confirmed that he met Watson and someone whose name he could not recall at a house arranged for his accommodation when the ANC held a Siyanqoba rally for the 2016 municipal elections.
Masutha claimed that he had received a call from an MP colleague, whom he did not name, asking if he was attending the rally. “I indicated that I had made arrangements but there was a difficulty in my office to secure accommodation.”
The unnamed MP, he said, had told him they were aware that comrades were struggling to find accommodation because Port Elizabeth was a small place for the size of the event that was envisaged, and that some locals had been asked to make accommodation available.
Masutha said: “Indeed, accommodation was confirmed. I arrived on Thursday evening and stayed until Sunday morning.”
He also said that on the day of his departure, he called the unnamed MP to thank him and ask him to thank whoever owned the house.
But the MP colleague told him that the owners would be arriving at the house shortly to meet him and that he could thank them directly.
It turned out that one was Watson.
“In the course of thanking them and asking them the cost incurred they said this was part of providing accommodation to delegates who came for the event.”