Zuma must come clean on Guptas

IT is likely to be another week of drama with President Jacob Zuma expected to appear before parliament on Thursday to answer questions from MPs. Judging by the questions already put forward for the session by DA leader Mmusi Maimane and his EFF counterpart Julius Malema, the “9/12” debacle will dominate proceedings.

December 9 was the day last year when Zuma issued a short statement announcing that he had fired Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister and replaced him with ANC backbencher David van Rooyen.

Zuma has tried on several occasions to explain why he took the baffling decision and each time he sounds less convincing.

This week, Maimane and Malema will be trying to tease out what many hope will be the full and final answer as to why Zuma fired Nene, replaced him with Van Rooyen, then fired Van Rooyen and replaced him with Nene’s predecessor, Pravin Gordhan — all in the space of just four days.

But we are not holding our breath — Zuma’s answers on contentious issues are often as clear as mud.

He is not likely to tell us about the role of a particular family compound in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, in all of this.

Yet evidence is mounting that suggests his close friends the Guptas played more than a small part in the drama that almost ruined South Africa’s economy, along with its reputation.

This week it emerged that, some time before Nene was shown the door, the Guptas offered the job of finance minister to Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas.

The Guptas denied the claim, first made by the Financial Times in London. They say there has never been any meeting between them and Jonas.

But Jonas has refused to confirm or deny the report, and his boss, Zuma, remains mum.

As we report elsewhere today, more information has emerged about the meeting that allegedly took place at a Sandton hotel. Sources close to the deputy minister are adamant that he refused the job as he did not want to be beholden to the Guptas.

If the Guptas did indeed offer Jonas the job, it confirms what many have feared all along — that the family’s influence in the Presidency has reached the stage where they have a say in who gets what position in the cabinet.

South Africans fought long and hard for freedom and democracy. Many died and others went to jail for the country to achieve its independence and sovereignty.

If what is being suggested about the Guptas’ influence is true, it means that in the space of just over two decades, we have allowed all of those gains to be sacrificed for the benefit of a few.

When Zuma appears before parliament on Thursday, this is the question he should answer: has he delegated his constitutional duty to appoint ministers to his friends and associates?

He cannot simply ignore the issue and dismiss the stories as rumours spread by mischief-makers.

On several occasions, Zuma has defended his relationship with the Guptas and has said he sees nothing wrong with them doing business with his son Duduzane.

If Zuma wants to maintain the relationship, that is his right.

But that friendship, and the Zuma family’s business dealings with the Guptas, should not be used to compromise our country’s sovereignty.

The president has to put our country first.