Only one ANC Minister confirms meeting with Guptas – DA Leader wants to know who else?

9 October 2018

In 2016, following the revelations surrounding State Capture and the Gupta family’s influence over the ANC government, I submitted parliamentary questions to every Minister at the time asking whether he/she had met with any member, employee and/or close associate of the Gupta family and/or attended any meeting with these persons at the Gupta’s Saxonwold Estate in Johannesburg or anywhere else since taking office.

Answers to these written parliamentary questions revealed that only one Minister – Dr Rob Davies – officially met with the Guptas. Recent revelations, particularly Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s testimony at the Zondo Commission, shows this to simply not be true.

In addition to Minister Nene, Ministers currently in Ramaphosa’s Cabinet – including Malusi Gigaba, Bathabile Dlamini, Nomvula Mokonyane, Zweli Mkhize, Lindiwe Zulu, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Gwede Mantashe all allegedly have questionable links to the Gupta family, and their companies and associates.

Therefore, I will today submit written Parliamentary Questions to all 35 ministers in Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet, asking them whether they have met with any member, employee and/or close associate of the Gupta family and/or attended any meeting with these persons at the Gupta’s Saxonwold Estate in Johannesburg or anywhere else since taking office. Moreover, whether they have any professional relationship with the above mentioned, and if so, what are the details of such.

The recent revelations surrounding Minister Nene shows that the rot of State Capture goes much deeper than former President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. There is no “good ANC” and “bad ANC”. There is one ANC, united around corruption and self-enrichment. The “smallanyana skeletons” are beginning to fall out the closet.

The whole of the ANC is implicated in State Capture, and that is why the DA's legal team has approached the Zondo Commission calling for a list of 12 individuals, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Deputy, David Mabuza, to appear before the Commission and account on behalf of the ANC. We await the Commission’s response in this regard.

It cannot be that the ANC continues to work to enrich and promote a small elite minority of connected cadres, while millions of South Africans are left in poverty and joblessness. The DA will continue the fight to build One South Africa For All, whereby those found guilty of corruption will spend 15 years in jail.

Ultimately, we must work together to remove the ANC at the ballot box in next year's elections.

Issued by Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 9 October 2018