BLF blocked from inquiry

Black First Land First (BLF) members demanding to be allowed entry to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture today were involved in a confrontation with police and security officials outside the venue yesterday.

FNB chief executive Johan Burger and Absa head of compliance Yasmin Masithela were being questioned on their reasons for ending links with the Gupta family in 2016.

The BLF, notorious for being sympathisers of former president Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, wanted to be part of the proceedings. However, BLF deputy president Zanele Lwana said they were not allowed in because BLF members were seen as disruptors and “therefore we are not deserving of our constitutional rights to participate in the commission and hear the evidence just like any member of the public.

“We believe that this is politically motivated, particularly how this commission has been used to narrow down the evidence and research onto particular families – the Gupta and Zuma families.”

The BLF has long called for the state capture investigation to be far broader and to include what it describes as the capture of the state by the interests of “white monopoly capital”.

Lwana said BLF was aware that being vocal about the “crimes” of white monopoly capital and how it had captured the state long before the Guptas became prominent was probably why the party was not allowed into the venue in Johannesburg.

She said the BLF earlier made an agreement with security and police to remove their BLF regalia in order to be allowed in, but that they were still prohibited.

“We are not here to disrupt, we are members of society,” Lwana added.

BLF members said they wanted to give testimony about why the banks closed Gupta accounts. – ANA