STATE CAPTURE: LATEST FROM INQUIRY
Assurances given that Zuma would ‘sort out’ defiant ministers’
Ajay Gupta told former government communications head Themba Maseko what Jacob Zuma had said to him
Ajay Gupta told former government communications head Themba Maseko that Jacob Zuma would sort out any minister who refused to hand over their advertising budget to him.
Ajay also boasted that Zuma‚ who was president at the time‚ had dinner with his family on a weekly basis and claimed ministers were summoned by the president or to their Saxonwold home when they were not cooperating”.
“He said listen‚ this is how things are going to work … you must go to all the departments‚ talk to ministers‚ tell them to transfer all the budgets into … the GCIS [Government Communication and Information System] account.
“He said your only job is to ensure that the money comes to me and The New Age newspaper‚” Maseko said‚ adding that Ajay Gupta’s aggressive demeanour left him with the impression that he was issuing an instruction to him.
Maseko is giving evidence at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture about how Zuma urged him to help the Guptas and how subsequent to this Ajay Gupta instructed him to meet with government departments and force them to channel R600m in government advertising spend to the family’s media interests.
Not even the National Treasury would have been able to do what Ajay Gupta had instructed him to do‚ Maseko said.
“He said that if I have other problems‚ or difficulties with any of the ministers refusing to transfer their money to me‚ I must come back to him and he will call the ministers to order and he will make sure that they deliver.
“I said: ‘Mr Ajay‚ these are my leaders. These are my ministers‚ you can’t talk to them like that‚ you can’t talk about them like that’.
He said: ‘No‚ that is how the system works.
“If there is any minister who is not co-operating‚ I tell him [president Zuma] and he sorts them out’.” Maseko had earlier testified that‚ shortly before he met with Ajay Gupta at Saxonwold in Johannesburg in 2010‚ Zuma had called him. According to Maseko‚ Zuma told him in Zulu: “Kuna labafana bakwaGupta badinga uncedo lwakho. Ngicela ubancede [The Gupta brothers need your help. Please help them].”
During that 90-second conversation‚ Maseko said‚ Zuma did not specify how exactly he wanted him to help the Guptas.
But the call left Maseko with the impression that Ajay had asked Zuma to contact him as part of an attempt to demonstrate his power and influence. Despite that meeting not ending well‚ according to Maseko‚ Ajay persisted in demanding that the GCIS channel money to The New Age newspaper. Maseko testified that Ajay was enraged when he did not agree to a subsequent meeting. Months later‚ Maseko was fired by Zuma.