Johannesburg - Calls were made on Sunday for the protection of key witnesses appearing before the state capture inquiry, following the latest threats on the life of former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi on Thursday.
The Zondo commission heard last week that a senior police officer had informed the investigators about new threats to Agrizzi’s life.
Agrizzi also told the commission that he had in the past found a message on the window of his car, saying he should stop talking.
Agrizzi has implicated senior government officials in having received bribes from Bosasa after they assisted his former company to secure lucrative tenders from national and provincial governments. He also claimed that the ANC top six leaders received donations of between R10million and R12m from the facilities management company.
On Sunday, Cope leader Dennis Bloem said the country needed more people like Agrizzi to appear before the inquiry, led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
“To get to the bottom of state capture and corruption in South Africa, all of us must protect, support and defend Angelo Agrizzi. His contribution in an effort to cleanse our corrupt government must be applauded,” Bloem said.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chairperson, Wayne Duvenage, has come out in support of the call, but said it should be extended to all witnesses and not just Agrizzi.
He said there were more organisations like Bosasa, which had benefited from state capture, and these should also be exposed.
The Zondo commission’s spokesperson, Reverend Mbuyiselo Stemela, said the commission was not commenting on security measures for witnesses appearing before the inquiry.