Guptas will stand trial, says Mabuza
DEPUTY President David Mabuza has insisted the Guptas will be pursued and brought back to the country to stand trial over state capture allegations.
Mabuza told Parliament yesterday that the country would work with governments in other countries, including Dubai, to get the Guptas back into South Africa.
He said the Guptas, president Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane Zuma, and other associates would be brought to justice. He said the country had institutions that would work to ensure this was done.
Some senior officials in state-owned entities have faced disciplinary action over state capture/ These include, at Eskom, former executives Matshela Koko, Anoj Singh and Sean Maritz. A total of eight other executives there face disciplinary action.
Mabuza said they were re-organising SOEs to ensure proper governance and President Cyril Ramaphosa would chair the new SOE council to drive the entities to a growth trajectory.
He said they wouldn’t allow the Guptas to escape justice. “There are no people who will escape our law. With those countries, wherever they are, they should have a way to sensitise those countries that they have certain people to answer in South Africa,” said Mabuza.
The Guptas left the country in February. The Hawks have been pursuing them.
The Hawks, the South African Revenue Service and Asset Forfeiture Unit raided a number of the properties of the Guptas across the country and seized assets, including jets, luxury vehicles and properties in Joburg, Cape Town and Durban.
The Gupta family have denied any wrongdoing.
Mabuza said government’s intention was to recover the stolen money from the SOEs.
He said Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was working on a plan that would provide guidelines on the appointment of board members of SOEs.
“We have been assured by the minister they are in the process of developing those guidelines,” said Mabuza.
This would prevent them from taking any position in other boards or companies.