Former Mpumalanga premier Thabang Makwetla in court over R350 000 Bosasa benefits

Former Mpumalanga premier Thabang Makwetla has appeared in court on corruption and fraud charges over allegations that controversial government contractor Bosasa spent approximately R350 000 upgrading security at his private residence.

Makwetla, also a former deputy minister of correctional services, appeared before the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday, where his case was postponed to March 19, 2027, pending the issuing of a centralisation certificate and arrangements for a High Court trial date.

“The former Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Thabang Makwetla appeared before the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges relating to the contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) and fraud,” Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said.

Makwetla, who was arrested in October last year and released on R10 000 bail, is accused of receiving the security upgrades from Bosasa in 2015 and repeatedly failing to declare the benefit to Parliament over four years.

READ: Former Deputy Minister of Justice Thabang Makwetla granted R10k bail

The former premier, who governed Mpumalanga between 2004 and 2009 before being succeeded by David Mabuza, subsequently occupied several national executive positions, including deputy minister of justice and correctional services and deputy minister of defence and military veterans.

His prosecution revives the sprawling Bosasa scandal that exposed allegations of systematic bribery involving senior ANC politicians, parliamentary office-bearers and government officials.

Zondo findings catch up with former premier

The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture found that Bosasa, later renamed African Global Operations, cultivated relationships with influential politicians and officials through cash payments, household improvements, security installations and other benefits.

In Makwetla’s case, the commission established that Bosasa had provided security installations at his residence and found that he had breached his constitutional, legislative and ethical obligations.

“The evidence establishes a prima facie case of corruption in terms of sections 3 and 4 of PRECCA against him,” the commission found.

It recommended that the matter be referred to the relevant authorities for investigation and prosecution.

The commission also raised questions about Makwetla’s discussions concerning rates under a Bosasa contract with the accounting officer of the Department of Correctional Services, although it acknowledged that this aspect had not been fully explored during his testimony.

Mamothame said the alleged failure to disclose the security upgrades violated Makwetla’s obligations under Parliament’s Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests.

The prosecution also disclosed that the case had been assessed by a review panel scrutinising matters handled by Idac.

“The matter was properly authorised and that it falls within the Idac mandate,” Mamothame said, conveying the panel’s findings.

“It was further confirmed that all disclosures were provided to the accused in order to prepare for trial,” he added.

Bosasa’s powerful political beneficiaries

Makwetla was among several politically connected figures implicated in the Bosasa investigation, which exposed allegations that the company used its lucrative government contracts to finance a network of political influence.

Former minister and ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane featured prominently in testimony by former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi.

Agrizzi alleged that Bosasa paid Mokonyane R50 000 monthly, provided maintenance services at her residences and financed private celebrations, including her birthday party.

Mokonyane denied the allegations, but the commission made adverse findings concerning her relationship with the company and recommended further action.

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe was also implicated over security installations allegedly financed by Bosasa associates at three properties linked to him.

Mantashe denied wrongdoing, maintaining that the installations were not intended to influence him. The commission nevertheless recommended further investigation into whether the benefits constituted corruption.

Former president Jacob Zuma and late former South African Airways board chairperson Dudu Myeni were also implicated in evidence concerning Bosasa’s political relationships and alleged attempts to interfere with investigations.

ANC parliamentary figure Cedric Frolick was accused of receiving payments and facilitating Bosasa’s access to influential parliamentary officials.

Frolick denied wrongdoing. Parliament’s ethics committee subsequently cleared him in its own proceedings, partly because the alleged conduct predated the applicable parliamentary ethics code.

The parliamentary outcome did not amount to a criminal court determination of the allegations.

From Bosasa benefits to prison sentences

Unlike several politicians whose cases have not reached criminal trial, former ANC MP Vincent Smith has already been convicted and sentenced.

In March this year, the Johannesburg High Court sentenced Smith to seven years’ direct imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to offences including corruption, fraud, money laundering and tax-related contraventions.

Smith, who chaired Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, admitted receiving benefits linked to Bosasa while occupying a position responsible for overseeing the department’s affairs.

The prosecution also established that Smith failed to disclose his interests in Euroblitz 48, a company through which financial transactions were conducted.

National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi welcomed the conviction.

“In as much as the trial took longer than anticipated to be finalised, the wheels of justice finally got in motion and the rule of law upheld,” Mothibi said.

Agrizzi, whose explosive testimony helped expose Bosasa’s alleged corruption network, also entered into a plea and sentence agreement with prosecutors in November 2025.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, receiving a combined 40-year prison sentence wholly suspended for five years.

The agreement requires him to cooperate with investigators and testify in proceedings against other individuals implicated in the scandal.

Former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti and former senior official Patrick Gillingham have also faced criminal proceedings relating to Bosasa contracts.

Meanwhile, suspended Pretoria chief magistrate Desmond Nair pleaded not guilty this week as his corruption trial began over alleged Bosasa-funded security upgrades worth approximately R200 000.

The allegations against Nair remain before the court.

Questions over outstanding prosecutions

Despite these developments, the pace of accountability remains under scrutiny years after the Zondo Commission delivered its findings.

Prominent politicians including Mokonyane, Mantashe and Frolick have faced adverse allegations or recommendations for further investigation without publicly established convictions arising from those Bosasa findings.

Their cases illustrate the distinction between evidence presented before a commission of inquiry, recommendations for criminal investigation and successful prosecution in a court of law.

Bosasa’s former chief executive Gavin Watson, identified as a central figure in the company’s alleged corruption network, died in a vehicle crash in 2019 before the commission completed its work.

The company secured billions of rands in government contracts, particularly from correctional services, while allegedly cultivating relationships with officials responsible for procurement and oversight.

Makwetla’s prosecution represents another test of whether the commission’s findings can be translated into criminal accountability.

For the former Mpumalanga premier, the next court appearance will determine the procedural arrangements for his High Court trial.

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