Keeping up with the Zuptas
My head is spinning. The information is coming at me way too fast.
It’s a case of another day – another part of the skeleton falling, being
pushed, surrendering or just plain running out of the closet. Because, you see,
it seems to be a bit crowded in there, and it’s getting difficult to breathe.
The ANC leadership must be feeling equally sweaty as it heads to its National Executive Committee meeting this weekend. But will the party's highest decision-making body succumb to the pressure and show President Jacob Zuma the door, as the opposition hope?
The saga started with former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor taking to Facebook. Mentor claims members of the Gupta family, tightly linked to President Jacob Zuma, had offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises – if she agreed to hand over the SAA-India route to them. All this while Zuma was in the very next room at the Gupta mansion in Saxonwold.
Mentor claims she refused and was therefore never made a minister. We were shocked and horrified at this news. In fact, we were outraged. How dare they! The nerve. Oh the Guptas.
Fast forward a couple of days and we are glued to our television sets, watching Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas read out a statement and claiming he too was approached by the Guptas. Jonas claims they offered him the Finance Minister position at the time Nhlanhla Nene was axed. Again, oh the horror. Shocking.
Since then former Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan has revealed that pressure was put on her to meet with the Gupta-owned Jet Airways (she refused) and then Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi’s spokesperson revealed that the Guptas had sent the minister a dinner invitiation (he declined) days after he was appointed Minerals Minister. He was later moved to the Public Service and Administration portfolio.
As if that wasn't dramatic enough – it's unprecedented for senior ANC members to speak out so publicly – now a report in the Mail and Guardian claims that there are more ANC highrollers waiting to spill the beans on the Guptas. In addition to this, the paper reports that former Eskom chair Zola Tsotsi claims he was kicked out for not toeing the Gupta line.
The plot is thickening and it’s thickening fast. President Zuma for his part seemed indignant in Parliament when asked about Jonas’s claims. Before being kicked out of the House, the DA’s Mmusi Maimane asked him whether the Gupta family had ever offered anyone a Cabinet position. This was part of his answer: “…If Jonas says he was offered by the Guptas, I think you are well placed to ask the Guptas or Jonas. Don’t ask me. Where do I come in? I had no business with that. I had absolutely no business. Ask the people who are said by Jonas offered him. Those are the people you must ask, my good, honourable member. Don’t ask me.”
In other words, just leave me alone. Sit down. And done was Zuma with that question.
This weekend’s ANC NEC meeting is significant for many reasons. No doubt the Gupta family’s alleged influence and reach within government will be discussed. But, judging from Number One’s reaction to the subject, will the answers emerge? Zuma already denied knowing long-serving ANC member and MP Vytjie Mentor. Denial seems to be the name of the game. If nothing else, we might just be in for a great weekend of Keeping up with the Zuptas.