Guptas helped Duduzane Zuma purchase lavish R18m Dubai apartment – report

President Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, reportedly bought an apartment two years ago worth nearly R18 million at the iconic skyscraper Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with assistance from the controversial Gupta family and their associates.

Sunday Times reported on Tuesday that according to leaked emails it exposed at the weekend, Duduzane purchased the property with substantial assistance from the Guptas at the end of 2015. The emails also apparently indicated that the transaction happened months after the Zumas purportedly sought residency in the UAE, which they have subsequently denied.

Details of the negotiations for the property are said to be contained in email trails between Oakbay’s current acting CEO, Ronica Ragavan, and an international real-estate agency negotiator in October 2015 just a month after Duduzane’s wedding.

Duduzane is a shareholder in several Gupta-owned companies, which were questioned by former public protector Thuli Madonsela in her State of Capture report.

“Now leaked emails show that Duduzane‚ through one of the companies he co-owns with the Guptas‚ Wens Holdings Limited‚ and registered in Dubai‚ bought an apartment at Burj Khalifa worth AED 5 000 000‚ equivalent to R17 789 162.

“The apartment is about 175.40 square metres and was acquired in December 2015 with a deposit equivalent to R1 778 916,” the report stated.

Madonsela previously received information during her probe that Duduzane was made a billionaire by the Guptas after he was made a director of Sahara Computers, six months after his father became the president of the ANC, Sunday Times reported in October last year.

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