“Members of the Gupta family offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then-Minister (Nhlanhla) Nene”, Jonas said.
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Mr Jonas on Wednesday said he was approached by the Gupta family and offered the job as finance minister. Under a barrage of criticism, he then abruptly replaced van Rooyen just days later with Gordhan, who had held the job from 2009 to 2014.
The opposition has said that links between President Zuma and the Guptas were so close that they have been nicknamed the “Zuptas”.
ANC veteran Barbara Hogan also admitted to feeling pressurised by Zuma into making key appointments during her tenure as public enterprises minister.
Jonas’ and Mentor’s revelations have pushed the ANC into a tight corner once again, and questions are being asked about why the party has not recalled Zuma.
“The narrative that has grown around the issue of “state capture” should be of concern to all responsible and caring South Africans”, Jonas added.
He called for the Gupta family to be prosecuted and for the ANC to “recall President Zuma”.
“When the Gupta family says in its response, it’s about factions in the (African National Congress), I look at that and I came to the conclusion that it’s an arrogance of power”, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told eNCA, an independent South African television news station.
“I am committed to good governance, abiding by the constitution of our country and being accountable to our people who repeatedly express their confidence and trust in us”, he continued.
“Zuma has been hammered by a lot of body blows, but no knock-out punch has been delivered yet”, Daniel Silke, director of Cape Town-based Political Futures Consultancy, said by phone.
“Even if they are ANC members, it does not allow them to do what has been alleged that they are doing”.
Moody’s analysts were due to visit South Africa on Wednesday after putting its Baa2 credit rating on review. Its office here declined to confirm if they had arrived.
South Africa’s central bank trimmed its growth forecast to 0.8 percent from 0.9 percent, as it raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.0 percent as it tries to tame rising inflation despite slow growth. “We will not provide any further running commentary on what is now just a politically-motivated campaign against us”.
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The Guptas have been entrepreneurs in South Africa since they immigrated to the country in 1993, said Nazeem Howa, CEO of Oakbay Investments, the family’s company. Zuma said in 2010 he “deeply regretted” the pain he had caused from the affair.
