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Gigaba holds Twitter Q&A to address state capture allegations
The minister of home affairs opened the floor to his followers to ask him questions about allegations of state capture and him allegedly colluding with the Guptas.
Former Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba. File photo
After damning allegations claiming that Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba was “very popular” with the Gupta family, he decided to confront this by opening the floor to his Twitter followers on Saturday night. The only disclaimer was that he would not tolerate “arbitrary and speculative insults”.
Let me set aside the next hour to addressing the narrative that I was ever/am captured by the Guptas. I undertake to address every direct allegation underpinning this narrative. Arbitrary and speculative insults, however, I will respectfully ignore. Please talk to me…
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
The second phase of the parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs’ investigation into the naturalisation process of the Gupta family earlier this month saw Gigaba being accused of using information gleaned from the #GuptaLeaks e-mails. This according to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse’s (Outa’s) Rudie Heyneke’s testimony, in which Heyneke said that Gigaba had been “very popular” with the Gupta family.
“He received invitations from the time when he was still the deputy minister of home affairs,” Heyneke said, referring to invitations from the Guptas for Diwali, World Cup soccer, dinners, the Sun City wedding and the Gupta-run South African of the Year awards ceremony.
Considering this, Twitter did not hold back, asking questions the minister responded to. These responses, however, at times lacked the in-depth answers he had alluded to being willing to provide.
No.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
Specific allegation, please.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
Other answers, however, were a bit more detailed.
Baba, surely, you agree that those seasoned professionals each have an agency of their own. They resigned. I do not know how to ‘engineer’ a decision of an adult professional.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
It has not yet been proven that they did. If is ever proven and every politician who did (especially those like Helen Zille who took their money) similarly resigned, I would follow suit.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
Some responses were notably more mysterious than others, but Gigaba managed to respond to an impressive number of questions and comments.
No. I am as curious as you to find our the answer to your second question.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
I have no personal knowledge of this.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
Yes, I am willing to appear before Judge Zondo anytime he decides it is necessary that I do so. That said, I doubt he will ever decide that it is.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
Former ANC member of parliament Vytjie Mentor said in her testimony before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in August that Gigaba assisted in the abolition of the Johannesburg-Mumbai flight route. This move was to be part of a turnaround strategy for SAA, which was not to be.
“I asked him how will all the people who travel to and from India and everyday cargo be transported … he said they [the Guptas] had a good relationship with Jet Airways who will ensure that the flight route continues. Hogan was then fired and replaced by [now Home Affairs Minister Malusi] Gigaba … and immediately after that, SAA stopped flying to India and Jet Airways took over the route.”
Yes, there are enough documented allegations of a project (specifically, by the Guptas) to hijack the procurement function across various govt departments and parastatals. By all indications, this project did not start with the Guptas and may not end with them.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 29, 2018
I am still saying that everything will be alright. Unlike the sponsors of the propaganda against me, Judge Zondo relies on direct testimony and evidence. It is impossible to come up with the latter, at least, about things that simply never happened.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) September 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/WandileZwane6/status/1046148728921436160
Gigaba is also alleged to have facilitated the swift visa approval of Gupta-owned company employees and associates, according to an email trail obtained by amaBhungane and the Daily Maverick.
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