President Cyril Ramaphosa says while he met the Gupta brothers on three or four occasions, the only meeting where matters of substance were discussed was when the brothers requested a meeting with African National Congress (ANC) officials to discuss the closure of their bank accounts.
This is contained in his affidavit to the State Capture Commission that was made available to the media on Friday afternoon.
Ramaphosa says the first two occasions where he met the Guptas were in December 2012 and in 2014 at media briefings hosted by ANC officials.
He says at these meetings they only exchanged greetings.
In April 2016, he as part of a group of ANC officials agreed to a meeting with Tony Gupta where the closure of their bank accounts was discussed.
He says at that meeting he raised the Waterkloof landing and how it had placed former President Jacob Zuma in an unenviable postion.
The President also says he had no interactions that he can remember with African Global Operations Head, Gavin Watson.
Ramaphosa says he may have met Angelo Agrizzi when Agrizzi worked for Grantham Catering, a subsidiary of the Molope Group of companies for which he was chair from 1996, but has no personal recollection.
He says he was also advised that Watson attended a Adopt a Foundation fund raising event as a guest of a Chinese Company Dahau which bought a table for R55 000.
He says he was also told that Watson attended his son Andile’s wedding in Uganda in August 2018 as part of the 1000 guests in attendance but did not recall any interaction with him.
Lastly, Ramaphosa says that with the Watson family having been part of the United Democratic Front in PE, it is possible that he could have met Gavin decades ago.
Ramaphosa also says when he toured an ANC call centre in 2016 situated at Bosasa’s headquarters, he did not know the source of funding for the centre and has never had interactions with Bosasa directors or employees.
