STATEMENT ON NHLANHLA NENE'S INTENTION TO REVEAL HIS CONNECTIONS TO THE GUPTAS
Tuesday, 2 October, 2018
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the reports that Minister of Finance intends to reveal his connections and close working relationship with the Guptas when he was Deputy Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the State Owned Asset Management Company, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
The EFF wrote a letter to Nhlanhla Nene on the 22nd of May 2018 asking him about his relationship with the Guptas and the many instances he negotiated business dealings with them. Even with the resolution of the Standing Committee on Finance that he must respond, he refused to respond to the questions. This is against Parliamentary Rules and practice which obliges all Members of the Executive to truthfully and consistently respond to questions asked by Members of Parliament, who are in Parliament to represent the people.
During the State of the Nation Debate, the Commander in Chief Julius Malema cautioned ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and specially said that Nhlanhla Nene is not what the media presented him to be. The CiC further said that the EFF wrote a letter to him and that he must honestly respond and should he choose not to, then we will expose him. Even with such clear indication and guidance, Cyril Ramaphosa did not care to hold his Minister accountable and kept him in office despite the many wrong things he did as deputy minister of Finance.
What the Nhlanhla Nene developments reveal is that throughout his tenure as deputy Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the PIC, Nhlanhla Nene was captured by the Guptas and worked for them. He negotiated business deals for them and bullied those who sought money from the PIC to submit to the demands of the Guptas.