Former Bosasa chief operations officer and state capture whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi arrives at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on February 6, 2019 in Pretoria. – The Hawks police investigative unit said in a statement that the equivalent of $120 million (105 million euros) was allegedly stolen in tender deals between the department of correctional services, which oversees the country’s prisons, and Bosasa. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
Solidarity zeros in on Gavin Watson in Bosasa debacle
The rain will come falling for Gavin Watson, says Solidarity
Former Bosasa chief operations officer and state capture whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi arrives at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on February 6, 2019 in Pretoria. – The Hawks police investigative unit said in a statement that the equivalent of $120 million (105 million euros) was allegedly stolen in tender deals between the department of correctional services, which oversees the country’s prisons, and Bosasa. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
Edit: TheSouthAfrican.com apologises unreservedly for the prior use of an image which depicted Gavin Watson, Angelo Agrizzi and associates. None of these former BOSASA associates, erroneously pictured in the previous image, have been implicated in corrupt dealings – they remain innocent.
If for some reason, Bosasa’s CEO, Gavin Watson, thought that by voluntarily liquidating the company, he’d be scot-free, he ought to think again, says Solidarity.
As reported by IOL News, the trade union has revealed its intentions to hold the embattled chief executive to book.
Read – NEHAWU demands immediate insourcing of Bosasa contracts
Bosasa liquidation threatens mass retrenchments
The company, which now goes by the name, African Global Operations, had entered into a liquidation process after major banks in the country forcibly closed their bank accounts.
This is the consequence of damning evidence that was submitted at Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo’s commission of inquiry into state capture, by key figures that were once employed at the company.
Read – EFF want Bosasa facilities to be “expropriated without compensation”
Solidarity look to bring Gavin Watson to book
Watson was said to be the mastermind behind the corrupt dealings with the government, where it is alleged that he had former president Jacob Zuma, right in the cusp of his hand.
The liquidation process will more than likely threaten more than 4 000 jobs and for Solidarity, that is unacceptable.
How Bosasa may have contravened the Insolvency Act
According to Anton van der Bijl, the trade union’s head of labour law services, the approach Watson and his company took in placing thousands of jobs in danger for the sake of saving himself was a contravention of section 38 of the Insolvency Act.
Read – Eskom: Solidarity hatch a plan to get skilled engineers back at the helm
“In terms of section 38 of the Insolvency
Act a liquidator must first consult with the employees’ trade unions before their services may be terminated.“According to section 38 of this Act, employees’ contracts of service are suspended the moment a liquidation order is issued. For this reason, employees do not have to render their services and they can claim their loss of income from the Unemployment Insurance Fund,” Van der Bijl explained.
The trade union confirmed that it would work tirelessly in assisting the innocent employees who are the biggest casualties in this scandal.
“This is a very sad story in which lives are destroyed at the hands of corrupt businessmen and politicians. We will certainly see to it that those who caused the Bosasa debacle are brought to book,” he said.
