Manyi approached Guptas for jobs at SOEs, leaked emails reveal

Former Cabinet spin doctor Mzwanele “Jimmy” Manyi has been implicated in a thread of leaked emails exposed at the weekend which allegedly show the Gupta family’s influence over Cabinet ministers and state-owned companies (SOEs), and their boards and CEOs.

Manyi, a staunch supporter of President Jacob Zuma and the controversial family accused of state capture, reportedly approached the family seeking positions for himself and an unaware former colleague at state-owned companies, the Sowetan reported on Monday.

In May 2014, Manyi is alleged to have forwarded his CV and that of attorney Xoliswa Mpongoshe to the family.

In both the emails, Manyi wrote to the CEO of [the] Gupta-owned Sahara computers company, Ashu Chawla, informing him “as discussed with Tony [Gupta]” and then attached the two CVs. However, the emails didn’t state which jobs were being applied for, but there was a clear expectation of employment, according to the report.

“He [Manyi] called me … [and] it was like ‘Can you send me your CV, they need people with a legal background who are particularly strong in governance.’

“So I sent him my CV and there was nothing since then, but I had no idea he was going to give it to the Guptas. I don’t know the Guptas. I’ve never met them. He never even talked about them to me to be honest,” Mpongoshe said, shocked by the contents of the emails.

The report stated that Mpongoshe wasn’t appointed to any board by the Guptas.

Manyi has dismissed the emails, saying he “didn’t see the emails nor recall the details. But I submit CVs of colleagues daily to various people.”

ALSO READ:

//