I will lay charges against the Guptas tomorrow

16 March 2016

We welcome the fact that Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, has finally had the courage to disclose that he was offered the position of Finance Minister by members of the Gupta family.

1. Full Disclosure

However, the Deputy Minister has not gone far enough and is still withholding critical information.

This information includes: 

- the names of the person present at the meeting and the name or names of the Gupta family members who made the offer;

- whether the offer to become the Finance Minister was conditional on him supporting the Nuclear Build Programme and purging senior officials at National Treasury; 

- the name of the unnamed business person who reportedly arranged the meeting; and

-  whether he reported the meeting to any person or institution after having received the offer to become the Finance Minister.

We need the Deputy Minister to make a full disclosure and put all the facts on the table. 

2. Corruption Act

However, by confirming the Gupta family offered him the position of Finance Minister, the Deputy Minister has confirmed that he was offered “gratification” in terms of the Prevention of Corrupt Activities Act (No. 12 of 2004).

This is our view amounts to prima facie evidence of corrupt activities.

I will therefore lay charges against Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta, Duduzane Zuma and any other persons who were present at the time the offer was made. I will lay these charges in terms of Section 4 of thePrevention of Corrupt Activities Act (No. 12 of 2004) so that this matter can be fully investigated.

This matter goes to the heart of the corruption in South Africa.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 16 March 2016