Gavin Watson facts for kids

Gavin Joseph Watson (born 12 July 1948 – died 26 August 2019) was a South African businessman. He was the Chief Executive Officer of a company called African Global Operations, which used to be known as Bosasa. He led the company from 2000 until he passed away in 2019. His company was mentioned in a big investigation about how some businesses might have unfairly influenced the government.

Early Life and Family Values

Gavin Watson and his brothers grew up on a farm in South Africa. Their father was a preacher who believed everyone should be treated equally, no matter their race. This was during a time called apartheid, when laws separated people based on their race.

Gavin's younger brother is Cheeky Watson, a famous South African rugby player. The Watson family was known for going against apartheid rules. They played rugby games with people of different races in the 1970s. During this time, Gavin Watson became friends with many members of the African National Congress (ANC). These friends later became important leaders in the South African government after apartheid ended.

About Bosasa Company

After apartheid ended in the mid-1990s, Gavin Watson's company, Bosasa, started offering services to government prisons. In 2004, the Department of Correctional Services gave Bosasa a big contract. This contract was to provide food services to the prison system.

Between 2003 and 2018, Bosasa received many government contracts. It's thought that these contracts were worth about R12 billion (which was around US$918.8 million at the time).

Bosasa was seen as a supporter of the ANC political party. The company gave about R3 million to the ANC's election campaign in 2014. Gavin Watson also personally donated about R500,000 to Cyril Ramaphosa's campaign to become the president of the ANC.

In January 2019, a former Bosasa employee, Angelo Agrizzi, spoke at a special inquiry. He said that Gavin Watson and some government officials were involved in serious activities. These activities were part of an investigation into how some businesses might have unfairly influenced the government.

Gavin Watson's Death

Gavin Watson died in a car accident on 26 August 2019. He was driving a company car that hit a pillar near O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. His own car was being repaired at the time.

Angelo Agrizzi, the former Bosasa employee, said he was sad to hear about Watson's death. He also suggested that Watson might have wanted to leave South Africa. The ruling political party, the African National Congress, called Watson an "anti-apartheid activist." The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, asked for a full investigation into his death. The police started a case to look into the accident.

A memorial service for Gavin Watson was held on 30 August 2019. His funeral service took place on 3 September 2019. Former President Jacob Zuma spoke at the funeral. A private report, requested by Watson's family, later said that he was already deceased when the accident happened. This led to more questions about the cause of his death.