Mystery shrouds Gavin Watson’s death

Controversial in life, Gavin Watson’s death in a horror car crash on Monday morning courted as much speculation as the fiery corruption accusations levelled at him by his former right-hand man, Angelo Agrizzi, with Watson’s family and friends closing ranks in the wake of his death.

Multimillionaire Watson, CEO of facilities management company African Global (formerly Bosasa), died when he lost control of the modest Toyota Corolla he had been driving and smashed into a highway overpass pillar near the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

Just hours after the 5.30am crash, questions were raised as to why Watson was not driving his usual car, a BMW X5, what his death would mean for the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and whether or not the crash was really an accident.

Watson’s family will now be independently investigating the cause of the crash that happened the day before the 71year-old was due to face tough questions about his and his companies’ tax affairs at an SA Revenue Service inquiry.

He had been subpoenaed to testify about whether he and his companies had given accurate information to Sars following the damaging testimony of former Bosasa COO Agrizzi at the Zondo inquiry.

Watson and Bosasa have been in the news for years, with allegations of underhanded dealings – to win lucrative government tenders – dating back more than a decade.

The company was also linked to a R500,000 donation to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 election campaign.

On Monday, some politicians, former colleagues and family associates expressed doubts about his death being an accident, with the DA calling on police to probe the crash because Watson’s death “may have a material impact on the work of the state capture inquiry”.

“It is therefore vital, given the [police] stating that a case of culpable homicide has been opened, that even a whiff of foul play is dispelled by a thorough and transparent investigation by the SAPS.”

James-Brent Styan‚ co-author of The Bosasa Billions, said Watson’s sudden death was a major setback to investigations into the extent of Bosasa’s role in the state capture scandal.

“It is known that Watson didn’t keep notes or records‚” Styan said.

“He didn’t have a computer or an office.

“The impact of his death on the Bosasa investigations is therefore immense.

“He was a central figure to uncovering the truth about all the allegations relating to Bosasa‚ and now he’s not here anymore to tell his version of events.

“It’s a major setback for the investigation.”

Those closest to Watson were far more reticent when it came to speaking about him.

A few hours after Watson’s death, his younger brother, Cheeky, said that he was “very, very sad”.

“I think everyone needs to respect our family and our privacy and afford us the time to grieve,” Cheeky said through his lawyer, Danie Gouws.

Gouws confirmed that the family would have the crash independently investigated.

Another of Watson’s brothers, Valence, said he did not want to speak about Watson’s death.

“You can’t be serious? When last did you write something positive about me or my family?” he responded angrily.

African Global spokesperson Papa Leshabane – who raced to the accident site on hearing the news – described the scene as horrific.

“That car literally disintegrated,” he said shortly after 1pm.

“There is absolutely nothing left of it. It’s smashed into millions of pieces.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what led to this accident.”

Asked why Watson had been on his way to the airport, Leshabane said: “Dead men don’t lie, dead men don’t talk.”

He said he did not know why Watson had been on his way to the airport but that the Corolla was a company car Watson was using because his BMW “was in for mechanical repairs”.

Later in the day, Leshabane said Watson’s family had asked him not to do any further interviews.

Watson’s erstwhile nemesis, Agrizzi, the former COO at Bosasa, sent condolences to his family but was sceptical that the crash was an accident.

Asked about his thoughts on the accident, Agrizzi said: “Very cynical, hey. I don’t want to comment on it now.

“My own perception, and I have spoken to one of the police officers ... we have our own ideas about what was done.

“You know, I can’t comment. My condolences go out to the Watson family.”

Former prisons boss Linda Mti, who was charged with corruption, money laundering and fraud linked to corruption relating to Bosasa, said he had known the “whole Watson family and extended family for years”, but did not want to comment on the crash.

“What must I say when a person is dead?” he asked.

A former Bosasa employee, who did not want to be named, said the whole crash was suspicious.

“If you look at the car, why was he driving a Corolla?

“In all my years of knowing Gavin Watson, he has never driven a Corolla. If you look at the speed of the car ...”

The Watsons were once hailed as heroes in the struggle against apartheid.

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said: “Cadre Watson, together with his brothers, Ronnie, Cheeky and Valence, associated themselves with the struggle for liberation at an early age and fought side by side with many compatriots against apartheid.

“It was in his home province of the Eastern Cape that cadre Gavin Watson made the admirable and brave choice of disassociating himself with the privilege that came with being a white male in apartheid South Africa and choosing to participate actively in pursuing the ideals of a free, democratic and nonracial South Africa.

“The Watson brothers were well-known activists in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and within the African National Congress underground structures at the time.”

Mabe said Watson had played a significant role in providing support, through the family businesses, to many activists and operatives of uMkhonto weSizwe who were being pursued by the police and fleeing Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape.

Port Elizabeth businessman and politician Mtiwabo Ndube said it was unfortunate that Watson would never get the opportunity to give his side of the story at the commission of inquiry.

A former project manager involved in Bosasa’s SeaArk project, Ndube said previously that the Watsons were his friends and comrades.

“I phoned Valence [Watson] when I heard about it [the accident] and he said, ‘yes, it is Gavin’.

“But he said they were still trying to piece together what happened,” Ndube said.

“It’s a shock and a really sad thing to have happened.

“I wish the truth could have been revealed so we could hear his side of the story.

“It’s unfortunate. May his soul rest in peace,” Ndube said.

Police reports revealed that Watson was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Monday.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said Watson was “driving into the airport precinct when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a concrete pillar holding up a highway bridge”.

Emergency staff had to extricate Watson from the mangled vehicle using the jaws of life, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. - Additional reporting Rochelle de Kock and Business Day