We must take the blame for disrespect

THE ridiculous demands by Gupta fixer Ashu Chawla, that he be flown business class from New Delhi to South Africa and back, and be given a Hindi interpreter for his testimony in Parliament, show the disdain and disrespect the family and their associates have for this country.

Chawla, a key figure in the alleged Gupta network that looted the state, wanted an interpreter, although he has been a South African citizen for the last 17 years. Chawla used to write detailed letters to home affairs ministers for the naturalisation of Gupta family members, and allegedly facilitated hundreds of permits and visas on behalf of the family.

MPs in the home affairs portfolio committee investigating the early naturalisation of the Guptas were this week rightfully incensed by Chawla’s demands. Seemingly, they did not believe he had the temerity to make such a request – to be flown in at the cost of R177 000.

“He wrote a detailed letter to the minister in English‚ but today we hear he can’t speak it and wants a Hindi interpreter…

“We don’t have R177000. We don’t have that money,” protested committee chair Hlomane Chauke.

What Chauke, leaders in the ANC and the state must admit is that Chawla, the Gupta family and their enablers don’t respect our country or take it seriously.

They can’t because they appear to have captured and controlled the highest offices in our national executive, including cabinet ministers and deputies. They were friends with the sitting president at the time, Jacob Zuma, and business partners with his son Duduzane.

They can’t respect Parliament and the state because they were allowed to land a plane full of wedding guests at Waterkloof Air Force Base, a crucial security point of the country not open to ordinary civilians.

The Guptas and their associates have no reason to respect us, because they had access to crucial things such as state intelligence.

It appears the Guptas were running the country without any mandate from us as citizens, which is tantamount to a soft coup.

So why should they respect us, our Parliament and the national executive, which still contains their friends?

Chawla and the Guptas have no reason to respect, for we allowed them to do what they did to our country.