Magda Wierzycka was forced to flee SA weeks before Gupta Leaks – report

Businesswoman Magda Wierzycka had to flee South Africa in April 2017 because she feared for the safety of her family weeks before information about how the Guptas controlled the country was leaked.

Although she reveals she did not leak the emails to the Sunday Times and City Press newspapers, Wierzycka said she had helped the whistleblowers who needed money to flee the country. She did this after being approached by Daily Maverick editor, Branko Brkic

This is revealed in her book Magda: My Journey, which is available at bookstores on 25 April.

News24 reports that Wierzycka got advice from her lawyers after she became worried about her involvement in the leaked emails.

“They warned that I had probably only a couple of days before the Gupta family heard of my involvement and that it would be wise to safeguard my family. My family and I left South Africa for the Maldives the next day and we stayed away until I could arrange personal security for us all,” she said.

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While out of the country, Wierzycka became concerned that the Daily Maverick was only going to publish the information piecemeal, instead of releasing all the information at once.

She then sent copies of the data to “heads of trade unions, heads of political parties, Cabinet ministers and other public figures”.

Wierzycka said she wanted all the information out in the public as soon as possible to protect the whistleblowers.

“I did not send the information to any media outlets,” she said.

Wierzycka said she hadn’t anticipated how here involvement in the Gupta Leaks would affect her life.

One of her sons needed bodyguards to go with him to school for two years.

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She also says she still has personal protection and details how she was flowed by state security agents when she returned to South Africa.

“From my return to South Africa until Zuma resigned as president, my cellphone was tapped and I was followed by state security agents. They would stop me at the airport every time I flew into South Africa and harass me for at least an hour,” she said.