#GuptaEmails: politicians who visited the Guptas’ infamous Saxonwold residence

As more damning details from leaked email communication between the Guptas and their associates are made public, a list of top officials from provincial and national governments who have visited the controversial family’s notorious Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg has emerged.

The Times reported on Monday that, according to the Guptas’ email appointment calendar that dates back to 2012, among the guests who had visited their residence were Delsey Sithole – President Jacob Zuma’s former private secretary – Free State Premier Ace Magashule and North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

The emails reportedly show that Sithole in October 2012 forwarded a guest list for a Jacob Zuma Foundation dinner to her own Gmail account and to the CEO of Gupta-owned company Sahara, Ashu Chawla. She also sent her son’s CV to Tony Gupta, the youngest of the Gupta brothers, asking him to give him an internship in his company.

Sithole has confirmed to the paper that she had sent the CV, saying she was no longer the private secretary to the president in 2013, and the email was sent in good faith.

The appointment calendar, which lends further credence to the leaked emails, also included former government spokesperson Mzwanele ‘Jimmy’ Manyi, who told The Times that what he did with his time was his own private business, as he was no longer in government.

Spokesperson of the North West provincial government Brian Setswambung did not deny that Mahumapelo had met the Guptas, but declined to comment on what the meeting was about.

Other notable guests who visited the Guptas included Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, the MEC of rural development and agriculture in the Free State at the time. His former department head , Peter Thabethe, also paid the Guptas a visit, once with Zwane.

Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Obed Bapela (the then deputy minister in the presidency) is also named. He has not denied the meetings, saying he had been friends with the Gupta family since 2001.

Former disgraced communications minister Dina Pule is said to have visited Saxonwold with Magashule in October 2012. She has apparently not denied the meeting either.

Board members of state-owned companies who had meetings with the Guptas included former SA Airways board member Rajesh Naithani, former Eskom board member Romeo Kumalo and SABC deputy board chairperson Thami ka Plaatjie.

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