Former African National Congress (ANC) MP Vincent Smith has been sentenced to seven years’ direct imprisonment by the Johannesburg High Court after entering into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in a corruption case linked to the Bosasa scandal.
Judge Mohamed Ismail handed down the sentence on Thursday after accepting the agreement in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
In delivering judgment, Ismail said the court had to carefully consider the seriousness of the offences and the position Smith once held as a public representative responsible for ensuring that the country’s laws were upheld.
The judge described corruption as a scourge that has reached alarming levels in South Africa, saying it undermines public trust in democratic institutions and must be addressed decisively.
Smith pleaded guilty to several charges, including contravening Section 7 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA), as well as fraud, money laundering and contraventions of the Income Tax Act.
The court sentenced him to 12 years’ imprisonment on each of the counts, with five years of each sentence suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of similar offences during that period. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Smith will effectively serve seven years behind bars.
The conviction relates to corruption and fraud committed both in Smith’s personal capacity and through his company, Euroblitz 48, where he served as the sole director and shareholder.
According to the prosecution, Smith failed to disclose gratification he received from the facilities management company Bosasa to the Registrar of Members’ Interests in Parliament. The payments were linked to corrupt activities involving former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi, who has previously testified about widespread bribery involving politicians and senior government officials.
Smith also failed to disclose taxable income generated through Euroblitz 48 between March 2009 and July 2018. The undeclared income amounted to approximately R28 million. Charges against the company were later withdrawn.
Smith was once a prominent figure in Parliament and served as the chairperson of the portfolio committee on correctional services. His role placed him in a position of oversight over government contracts and services related to prisons — an area where Bosasa held lucrative state contracts for years.
His alleged relationship with Bosasa came under intense scrutiny during the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, commonly known as the Zondo Commission. During those hearings, Agrizzi detailed how Bosasa allegedly paid bribes and provided benefits to politicians and officials in exchange for favourable treatment and government contracts.
Following the revelations, Smith resigned from Parliament in 2019 after initially denying any wrongdoing before later admitting to receiving financial benefits linked to Bosasa.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) welcomed the conviction and sentence, saying it marked progress in holding those implicated in state capture-related corruption accountable.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi said the outcome demonstrated the justice system’s commitment to tackling corruption.
“In as much as the trial took longer than anticipated to be finalised, the wheels of justice finally got in motion and the rule of law has been upheld,” Mothibi said, while also commending the prosecution team involved in the case.
