Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry

latest reports of Commission of Inquiry into State Capture says that Gupta brors h used former president Jacob Zuma not only against people of South Africa but also to install ir own lackeys at key institutions.

Central to Guptas’ scheme of state capture was Zuma, who y must have identified at a very early stage as somebody whose character was such that y could use him against people of South Africa, his own country and his own government to vance ir own business interests, according to report.

“President Zuma reily opened doors for Guptas to go into State-Owned Enterprises and help mselves to money and assets of people of South Africa,” says fourth part of report which was handed to President Cyril Ramaphosa by Commission Chairperson Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Friday.

report said Zuma “would do anything that Guptas wanted him to do for m”, including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions, so that Gupta lackeys could be appointed to those positions.

Gupta brors – Ajay, Atul and Tony – first arrived in South Africa from Saharanpur in India in early 90’s as freedom dawned under Nelson Mandela.

y started with a shoe store and rapidly built up a massive empire that included IT, mining and media, allegedly using Zuma’s influence.

Guptas are currently believed to be in self-imposed exile in Dubai, with South Africa’s extrition request for m to face criminal charges still pending. y have also been declared prohibited visitors in US and UK.

Zuma was ousted by his own African National Congress barely months away from end of his second five-year term as president after massive public outcries. He is fighting ongoing criminal charges of corruption and served just a few months of a 15-month jail sentence last year for refusing to testify at Commission.

Commission heard from many witnesses, including ministers who h been removed, about involvement of Zuma and Guptas in ir dismissals.

“President Zuma was prepared to remove people from ir positions who were very good in ir jobs if Guptas wanted those people removed or if Guptas wanted people associated with m to be put into those positions," report says.

One of three volumes that make up this instalment of report from Commission, which sat for three years, is about capture of parastatal electricity supplier Eskom.

“ evidence proves a scheme by Guptas to capture Eskom, install Guptas' selected officials in strategic positions within Eskom as members of board, committees of board and executives and n divert Eskom's assets to Guptas' financial vantage” report says.

report also found that former minister Lynn Brown was party to situation in which billions were looted form Eskom, leaving it almost bankrupt and unable to finance ageing infrastructure which has been causing regular lo shedding across country.

“When one has regard to all evidence heard by commission, it is quite clear that Guptas were in control of Eskom board. president of country, Mr Jacob Zuma, and minister Brown were manipulating situation at Eskom to vance business interests of Guptas,” it said.

Image: AP