Gavin Watson's BMW was in for mechanical repairs: company car explained

"Dead men don’t lie. Dead men don’t speak."

This was the response from Papa Leshabane, spokesperson for the family of Gavin Watson, the chief executive officer of Bosasa, when asked why Watson was travelling to OR Tambo International Airport when he died during the early hours of Monday morning.

Watson, 71, was killed when the Toyota Corolla he was driving ploughed into a bridge pillar at the airport's precinct near the R21 around 5am Monday.

The car belonged to his embattled business African Global Operations, which was formerly Bosasa.

The pillar the car crashed into had visible paint marks on it. Broken plastic covers and lights lay scattered on the road.

Leshabane told TimesLIVE that Watson had borrowed the company car on Sunday "as his car was in for mechanical repairs".

"It was not an out-of-the-ordinary thing for him to do. He borrowed it because his car was being fixed."

Leshabane said Watson's family had identified his body at the Germiston mortuary.

Watson and his company have been embroiled in corruption allegations after his former colleague, Angelo Agrizzi, dropped bombshells at the state capture commission of inquiry into the alleged bribery of government ministers and senior correctional services department officials in order to secure lucrative contracts. His company and its activities have also ensnared President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose presidential campaign received a R500,000 donation from Bosasa.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Katlego Mogale said earlier on Monday: "It is reported the man was driving into the airport precinct when he allegedly lost control of his vehicle and collided with a concrete pillar holding up a highway bridge."

"The victim was certified dead on the scene by paramedics and a case of culpable homicide has been opened for investigation."