Why won’t Minister Brown confirm or deny she met the Guptas? 

9 June 2016

The Minister of Public Enterprises, Ms Lynne Brown’s failure to either confirm or deny that she met the Guptas is not only highly suspicious but shows complete disregard for accountability. 

In a reply to a DA parliamentary question, Minister Brown refused to reveal whether she had meetings with the Guptas, providing a deliberate non-answer that “The duties of Ministers and Deputy Ministers are outlined in the Ministerial Handbook.” 

If Minister Brown did not at all meet with the Guptas, then why not just say so? 

The DA submits that this response is unacceptable and is not answered truthfully and in full as Ministers are required to by the Rules of Parliament. As such I will write to Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the Leader of Government Business requesting that he compel Minister Brown to answer fully and truthfully in this regard.

It is shameful that the Minister is avoiding questions regarding the Gupta’s and the prevalence of “state capture” despite very serious allegations of several SOE’s under her purview being seized and interfered with by the Guptas. In so doing she lends credence to these allegations. 

This ducking and diving is emblematic of the ANC’s stance on rooting corruption out despite overtures that they are “committed” to the fight against corruption. In fact just last week ANC Secretary-General and henchman-in-chief, Gwede Mantashe, told the nation that they have abandoned their investigation into the allegations of “state capture” by the Guptas. This is with particular reference to the offering of Ministerial posts as was confirmed by the Deputy Finance Minister, Mcebisi Jonas, earlier this year. 

Of equal concern is that the Guptas seem to be getting preferential treatment on state contracts through SOEs with no clear evidence of due process being followed in the tender process. If Minister Brown has confidence that everything was above board, she would have said so because she has been quite outspoken in the past about dispelling allegations about her department.

In any event, we will continue with our probe and will resubmit this question to ascertain whether Minister Brown and/or her Deputy Minister ever met with any member, employee, close associate of the Guptas. 

Our SOEs are in peril and Minister Brown, like the President and other high-ranking members of Cabinet, seem to be allowing this seizure of state companies which makes them complicit and possibly active in facilitating this debilitating “state capture”. SOEs are intended to benefit all South Africans yet the ANC government is allowing them to be pilfered for narrow political self-interest and greed.

The DA will not rest until the Guptas answer to all South Africans regarding the apparent billions they have pilfered from our public purse. In the interim, the ANC Executive has to account for their involvement in selling state apparatus to the Gupta’s. We need answers for the sake of all South Africans. 

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 9 June 2016