Gigaba denies dealings with Gupta family
answer to when the Hogan Lovells report and the Motau report, which deals with the disciplinary process against Makwakwa, will be given to MPs.
Lebelo dared utter the words “let me finish”, which drew an angry response from committee chairperson Yunus Carrim.
“I am the chair of the committee, you are going to stop messing us around... answer the question clearly... you brought this upon yourselves,” said Carrim.
DA MP David Maynier suggested Moyane be summonsed to appear before Parliament and made to submit the two reports.
“Sars’ response is bizarre because this committee is being denied access to reports... on the basis that they contain information relating to an FIC report which is in the public domain... it’s frankly absurd. It’s mad. Give us the report, commissioner. Stop messing us around,” said Maynier.
Eventually, Moyane said his pretext earlier in the meeting, which caused frustration among MPs in the first place, was always meant to conclude with the words: “In so far as the submission of the reports is concerned, we are in agreement that these reports will be released to yourselves.”
Both the Motau and Hogan Lovells reports would be provided to MPs by 10am on Friday morning. Information relating to what is contained in the FIC report would be redacted. – African News Agency (ANA) EMBATTLED Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has distanced himself from business dealings between the Gupta family and state-owned enterprises during the four years he held the Public Enterprises portfolio, and insisted he granted them no help in obtaining South African citizenship.
Gigaba told the parliamentary inquiry into Eskom that contracts the power utility entered into with Tegeta, Trillian and Regiments did not happen on his watch, therefore “I cannot comment on them”.
During a heated exchange with DA MP Natasha Mazzone, Gigaba rejected any suggestion that he should have intervened to set aside contracts with the Gupta business empire as allegations of impropriety grew. He insisted that ministers could not, and should not, involve themselves in procurement.
“But I was not involved in who gets what, I was a minister and ministers must remain out of procurement in state-owned companies, as well as in their own departments,” Gigaba said after Mazzone charged that he allowed state capture to happen “under your nose”.
The minister argued that it would appear suspect if he suddenly took an interest in an open tender and asked questions about particular bidders.
In his testimony, Gigaba repeatedly expressed concern about the family’s influence over parastatals and political processes in the Zuma administration.
Pressed about unsound decisions, he said it was never brought to his attention that there was “a push for certain Gupta-related companies” but added that people may have taken advantage of the situation when his attention was turned towards election campaigning.
He firmly rejected a suggestion from ACDP MP Steve Swart that Zola Tsotsi was made chairman of Eskom because he was a puppet of the Gupta family and dismissed their attempts to dictate to him as manipulation.
Swart referred to an incident where Tony Gupta reportedly told Tsotsi that he was placed in his position by the family and that they would likewise remove him. – African News Agency (ANA)/Staff Reporter