EFF rejects Nene’s Gupta apology

The EFF have shown little sympathy towards Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene despite his having apologised for his meetings with the Gupta family over the years when he was deputy finance minister and in his first stint as finance minister under then president Jacob Zuma, which he only disclosed this week at the state capture commission of inquiry.

Although he continues to deny that he ever did anything for the family or acquiesced to any dodgy demands, Nene said he deeply regretted “these lapses and beg your forgiveness,” in a statement.

Media statement with Minister Nhlanhla Nene's message to fellow South Africans @GovernmentZA pic.twitter.com/e7pxltky6D

— National Treasury (@TreasuryRSA) October 5, 2018

Nene may get that forgiveness in many quarters, but he should not expect it from the EFF, which also scolded the media on Friday for allegedly being too soft on Nene. They said in a statement: “Certain sections of the media, which are clearly controlled by a capitalist faction, want to ignore the fact that Nhlanhla Nene is a liar who previously said that he has never met with the Guptas.”

The EFF’s deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, said they would only accept Nene’s apology if he stepped down as minister of finance “because he is a Liar! Liars can’t politically oversee the country’s finances.”

The apology is rejected.
We will only accept the apology if he steps down as Minister of Finance because he is a Liar! Liars can’t politically oversee the country’s finances. https://t.co/nwvvQzoZMZ

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) October 5, 2018

The EFF also released a statement following a report in the Mail & Guardian questioning the role of the Public Investment Corporaton (PIC), which Nene chaired at the time, in a deal involving his son Siyabonga Nene.

READ MORE: EFF slams Nene’s ‘extremely arrogant’ ‘lies’ at Zondo inquiry

The statement said the Mail & Guardian had exposed “the first” of Nene’s “shenanigans,” going on to say that his actions as finance minister “border on corruption”.

The statement went on to repeat earlier claims made by the EFF about Nene avoiding their correspondence.

Following a week in which the reputation of Nene received a blow after he was caught lying in an eNCA clip about having met the Guptas while serving under Jacob Zuma, a report by amaBhungane and the Mail & Guardian looked into the finance minister’s alleged involvement in a deal involving the minister’s son and an oil refinery in Mozambique.

According to the report, a business partner of Siyabonga Nene’s earned millions from a deal made while Nene was chairperson of the PIC.

Nene’s role in the deal, linked to businessman Momande Rassul Rahim – who was arrested for alleged money laundering, tax evasion and smuggling last year – is now being questioned.

More on the report can be read here.

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