Zondo Commission: Nhlanhla Nene met with the Guptas four times

3 October 2018 1:48 PM

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene is testifying at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

The EFF has accused Nene of being captured by the Guptas just days he could appear before the commission. But Deputy Justice Raymond Zondo said that the party should refrain from making allegations unless the evidence could be brought before the commission.

He said if there's anybody who has information that could help the commission, they should come forward.

EWN reporter Clement Manyathela says some of the allegations that were put before the commission will not be dealt with until the legal team conducted investigations into them.

Read: Nene announces plans to establish inquiry into the PIC

They are not dealing with those issues in detail but Nhlanhla Nene has taken the opportunity to deny every single allegation brought forward by the EFF.
— Clement Manyathela, EWN reporter

He has questioned the timing of these allegations that a few days before he could testify there are all these allegations coming out reporting that he actually had some kind of a relationship with the Guptas.
— Clement Manyathela, EWN reporter

Manyathela says it also emerged from the commission that Nene met with the Gupta family four times, the first time being at Sahara computers when he was invited by Ajay Gupta who introduced himself as an economist and advisor to former President Jocab Zuma in 2009.

He says when they requested him as a member of the cabinet to visit their private home, he didn't know that there could be something untoward about them.

He says that the issue of Iqbal Survé, the owner of Independent media came up during the meeting. Ajay Gupta was concerned that there was a deal struck between him and the Guptas but Survé turned on them and they wanted Nene to intervene.
— Clement Manyathela, EWN reporter

He says in 2014 he visited the Gupta family twice after he realised there was something untoward in 2013 when Treasury was investigating the dairy farm.
— Clement Manyathela, EWN reporter

Advocate Paul Pretorius asked him that if you realised in 2013 that there is corruption that is linking these people in 2014, then why did you visit them in 2014, and he simply responded by saying I wanted to give them a benefit of doubt.
— Clement Manyathela, EWN reporter

To hear the rest of the report by Clement Manyathela, listen below:

Written by: Lengwadishang Ramphele