‘Zuma lied to inquiry about my axing’

FORMER government communication and information system (GCIS) chief executive Themba Maseko believes former president Jacob Zuma lied when he previously testified over events that led to his axing from the government entity eight years ago.

Maseko returned to the Zondo Inquiry yesterday where he gave details of how he was removed from the GCIS because he would not assist the Gupta family to access the government’s advertising spend.

Last year, he told the commission he was approached by Ajay Gupta who shared his newspaper’s (The New Age) interest in accessing the 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 indicated that he needed to help the controversial family.

Maseko also testified that the late minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane approached him in late January 2011 and informed him that Zuma wanted him out as the head of GCIS.

He said Chabane felt bad and promised that he would not leave him to be hung out to dry.

When Zuma appeared at the inquiry in July, he denied instructing Chabane to dismiss Maseko.

He alluded to the fact that 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 in his statement.

“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 through the commission’s investigation the Presidency had 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 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.

“At the February 2, 2011 Cabinet meeting, I was present when an announcement was made by Mr Chabane and there was no discussion, and it was done at the end of the meeting as Mr Zuma requested that Mr Chabane make an announcement,” he said.