‘Zuma lied in previous testimony’
FORMER GCIS chief executive Themba Maseko believes former president Jacob Zuma lied when he testified on events that led to Maseko’s axing from the government organisation eight years ago.
Maseko returned to the commission of inquiry into state capture yesterday where he gave details of how he was removed from GCIS because he would not assist the Gupta family to access government advertising spend.
Last year he told the commission that he had been approached by Ajay Gupta who shared his newspaper’s (The New Age) interest in accessing advertising spend which stood at R600 million.
He said he fought off attempts and had gone as far as calling Zuma before his meeting with the Guptas.
According to Maseko, Zuma said he needed to help the family.
Maseko testified that former minister in the presidency, Collins Chabane, approached him in late
January 2011 and told him Zuma wanted him out as the head of GCIS.
He said Chabane felt bad and promised that he would not leave him out to dry.
When Zuma appeared at the inquiry in July this year, he denied instructing Chabane to dismiss Maseko.
He alluded to the fact there may have been a troubled relationship between Maseko and Chabane, possibly leading to him being removed.
Maseko denied this and said Zuma was being untruthful.
“I think what the former president says in his oral evidence is untrue.
“There was never an issue between myself and Chabane. We had a very solid relationship and the way he conveyed the message to me indicated that he was shocked by the turn of events,” Maseko said.
Zuma had also told the inquiry that the decision to remove Maseko had been discussed in a Cabinet meeting held in February.
Evidence leader for the commission advocate Kate Hofmeyr said that through the commission’s investigation the Presidency supplied it with a Cabinet memo from the February 2 meeting.
Hofmeyr said the memorandum showed that the issue of removing Maseko was never discussed at the meeting.
Maseko also agreed and said he was present at the meeting and the only time the issue of his removal came up was towards the end of the meeting when Chabane made the announcement.
“An announcement was made by Chabane and there was no discussion and it was done at the end of the meeting as Zuma requested that Chabane make an announcement.
“It was an announcement, there was no discussion,” Maseko said.