BOSASA showered former environmental affairs minister Nomvula Mokonyane with flowers and gift hampers on her birthdays.
This was according to her PA Sandy Thomas’ evidence at the Zondo Commission yesterday.
Thomas said Bosasa boss Gavin Watson consulted her on what type of flowers or gifts Mokonyane would like.
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“He called me directly and asked what I think he should buy because maybe the previous year he bought flowers for her.
“I wouldn’t know if he bought the gift and if it was sent. It would not come to me.”
She said she also received gifts from Watson because her birthday is a day after Mokonyane’s. She said she only saw Watson once when he came to Mokonyane’s house before her son’s funeral to pass his condolences.
Thomas also confirmed to the commission Bosasa bought the groceries that were distributed to needy people around Kagiso in the West Rand.
“For me, it was the safest place to keep the groceries at her (Mokonyane) house and then distributed in Kagiso. It would happen around Christmas time,” said Thomas.
She said sometimes Mokonyane would not know about the delivery of groceries as Watson spoke directly to her and not Mokonyane.
Thomas said she also dealt with former Bosasa COO, Angelo Agrizzi.
“I dealt with Agrizzi once or twice. My communication was mostly with Watson,” she said.
Agrizzi testified that he dealt with Thomas several times if he couldn’t get hold of Mokonyane.
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He said when he and Watson visited Mokonyane’s house in the days leading up to her son’s funeral, Thomas was there.
“I don’t remember anything like this. I went through it, but I don’t remember,” Thomas told the commission.
She denied any knowledge of Bosasa sponsoring Mokonyane’s daughter with a car as Agrizzi claimed.
She told commission chairman Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that, as part of her job, she also dealt with Mokonyane’s domestic affairs when she was away.
She said one day Mokonyane’s husband, responsible for security and maintenance at the house, asked her to call Richard le Roux from Bosasa to check the alarm system as he wasn’t around.
She said she didn’t know who installed the system.
She said all she could remember was that while Mokonyane was Gauteng MEC for housing, security upgrades were done at her house.
