Former Bosasa Operations' chief operations officer, Angelo Agrizzi, on Monday told the Zondo Commission of Inquiry that Environmental Affairs Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane, was on a R50 000 monthly retainer, among other benefits she enjoyed from Bosasa.

According to Agrizzi, the alleged R50 000 monthly bribe to Mokonyane took place from the period 2002 until Agrizzi left Bosasa in 2016.

But Agrizzi said that Bosasa had not derived any tangible benefit from its relationship with Mokonyane other than perceived political protection. Mokonyane was initially a shareholder and director of Dyambu Holdings, Bosasa's parent company. 

Agrizzi said that Bosasa's relationship with Mokonyane dates back to around 2002 when she was still the Gauteng member of the executive council (MEC) for safety and security. During that time, Agrizzi said Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson requested him to see to it that Mokonyane was given various gifts and that numerous events were organised and paid for by Bosasa at her request. 

The gifts to Mokonyane included maintenance and security upgrades at Mokonyane's house in Roodepoort, a massive annual Christmas grocery list, paying for funeral expenses for her deceased family members, catering for several African National Congress (ANC) rallies on her instruction; including providing catering at former President Jacob Zuma's 72nd birthday party.

"I initially didn't think anything was wrong with this arrangement. It was accounted for in the books as any other transaction. They were numerous requests including funeral arrangements for family members, car rentals for up to three months for her daughter when she visited from China where she was studying," Agrizzi said.

Agrizzi said that Mokonyane would visit Bosasa offices frequently and at one stage around 2008 or 2009, she asked that Bosasa do a full analysis of security at provincial hospitals. 

"On instruction of Watson we did analysis and prepared the report. The report given to Watson and it was submitted to Mokonyane. At the time there was a major issue in Gauteng hospitals with security, there were issues of doctors being stabbed especially in Leratong and Baragwanath Hospital. The report showed they had major problems in infrastructure for access control," Agrizzi said.

"I was given the information that the report on security at hospitals was to be given to someone else to bid for tender. Papa Leshabane mentioned the name of Reggie Nkabinde [who] would submit the report as his own and would get the tender at around 2009." 

Nkabinde was an executive official of the ANC Youth League at the time. Agrizzi said Mokonyane again approached Bosasa to do a generic overview analysis for securing the dams when she was minister of water affairs in 2014. He said the hospitals report and the dams security report had cost Bosasa R2-million and R1.3-million, respectively. 

Agrizzi said he personally grew frustrated of Bosasa paying Mokonyane a monthly bribe yet deriving no benefit from it, but said he was told by Watson to do as instructed and keep his mouth shut. 

"I was getting sick and tired of packing money for people, that is the truth. I pointed out to Gavin Watson that a lot of money had been paid with no benefit whatsoever to Bosasa," Agrizzi said.

"I pleaded with him that we stop being a politically-based company because it was getting us deeper and deeper into trouble. We did not have to pay bribes to run a good, credible business. But I was told that this is Africa, do as Africans do."