Rattled Zuma comes out guns blazing in defence of his son
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has defended his son Duduzane’s business relationship with the Guptas, telling opposition MPs they were being “unfair” for saying he was benefiting from his office tenure.
Zuma was responding to a question from DA leader Mmusi Maimane in the National Assembly yesterday, who put it to Zuma that his presidency had benefited a few politically connected individuals, including Duduzane who is a business partner of his friends the Guptas.
Zuma told Maimane it was unfair of him to single out Duduzane because he was not trading with government entities.
“I have not heard that his business has ever benefited from government where Zuma has benefited to say give him something.
“He’s involved in business in his own accord and there are circumstances why he had to go to business,” said Zuma.
The President said there was no law that prevented his son from becoming a businessman.
“There’s no law that says he can’t get into business and I deal with many young people who are in business. If you’ve never met them you are an unfortunate South African. You just met Duduzane only? You’re a very unfortunate leader.
“There’s a situation that has created unemployment. It’s not created by Duduzane going into business … you can’t single out one young person and victimise the person just because he’s the son of the president.”
Duduzane’s name has featured prominently in the leaked Gupta e-mails that detail the extent of the controversial family’s influence in government affairs.
The Sunday Times reported last weekend that Zuma had introduced Duduzane to a senior civil servant in the Department of Mineral Resources shortly after his election in 2009, asking the government official to assist his son.
Zuma also announced that the leaked Gupta e-mails would also form part of a judicial commission of inquiry that he has just decided to establish. He said he would soon announce further details of the judicial commission on state capture.
Such details would include the name of the judge to lead the inquiry and the terms of reference.
Zuma said the fact that the scandalous Gupta e-mails had landed in the public domain was proof that South Africawas a transparent society.
“In other countries you don’t see such things. Secondly, the e-mails, sitting here I don’t know where they come from.
“They’ve never been tested in any institution.
“As part of the measures to deal with the matter we’ve taken a decision to establish the judicial commission and the e-mails will be part of that.”
Turning to matters of the economy, Zuma said he supported the controversial mining charter unveiled by mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane.
The charter has proposed a 30% BEE ownership in all mines and has recommended a 50% black representation at board and executive management of mines.
Zuma said the charter had been endorsed by his cabinet as they had to do something about changing the ownership of mines in the country. — TMG