Witnesses back evidence of former ANN7 editor

Three meetings held during setting up of Gupta TV channel which Zuma played role in

TWO witnesses have backed the evidence of the former editor of the Gupta-owned TV station, ANN7, Rajesh Sundaram, that he had attended three meetings at the presidential guest house during the setting up of the television news channel.

Sundaram had appeared before the Zondo Commission last year to explain how the station was established and said that former president Jacob Zuma had played a role in setting it up.

However, yesterday, former household manager at Mahlamba, Ndlopfu Ramaru Mekgwe, and current household manager at the presidential guest house, Jacques Human, testified about the meetings that Sundaram had attended there. Mekgwe and Human confirmed Sundaram’s evidence about the features of the two rooms at the presidential guest house.

“There is this room at the residence with leather-bound books, a table at the centre, there are wingback chairs, four around the table, and with a television set in a cabinet. The other meeting room is two and a half times larger and has multiple seating arrangements, a coffee table in the centre and television set at the far end. The difference between this room and the other is the size,” Mekgwe said.

He also confirmed that he had seen members of the Gupta family at the residence.

Human confirmed that the only way guests going to the residence could be ushered in without signing would be if the security personnel at the entrance had been notified ahead of the guest arriving. Sundaram had testified that they were not required to state their names when they entered the residence and that they were also not taken through a metal detector.

Last year, Sundaram testified that Zuma was instrumental in setting up ANN7 and had even picked the name for the TV station.

Sundaram had also told the inquiry that Zuma had mentioned during a visit to his residence that he would be in Mpumalanga on August 9, 2013.

Former SABC journalist Gillian Pillay testified at the inquiry that she had covered an event in the province when Zuma was there, which corroborated Sundaram’s testimony on what Zuma had stated.

There is this room with leather-bound books and wingback chairs Ndlopfu Ramaru Mekgwe FORMER PRESIDENTIAL GUESTHOUSE MANAGER