Following the testimony of former minister of public service and administration Ngoako Ramatlhodi, his former adviser Mahlodi Muofhe took the stand.
Moufhe recalled a radio interview in which former minister Fikile Mbalula said the Guptas had informed him of his appointment as minister of police, a promotion from his previous position as minister of sports.
Former finance minister Trevor Manuel wrote an open letter to Mbalula in 2017, saying that in an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting, the then sports minister was in tears as he told those in attendance that Atul Gupta had phoned him and informed him that he would be promoted. This came true a few days later after Jacob Zuma reshuffled the cabinet.
Last year, former finance minister Trevor Manuel, in an open letter to the party’s now head of elections Fikile Mbalula, reminded him of an NEC meeting where the latter apparently had tears streaming down his face as he told his comrades of a call he had received from Atul Gupta telling him he was to be reshuffled.
Mbalula confirmed that a Gupta brother had called him in an interview with Business Day but said it was not Atul but Ajay.
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Around the same time, the Guptas’ lawyers claimed Ajay had in fact only congratulated Mbalula due to “positive and public media speculation” that he would receive the position, rather than because of any prior knowledge.
Muofhe denied ever having met the Guptas, adding the same could be said for Ramatlhodi.
He said he had received a letter inviting himself and Ramatlhodi to a dinner at Saxonwold in connection to one of the Guptas’ companies. He said he received a call on the same day “reminding” him of the dinner, even though he had not yet RSVP-ed.
He said he felt he was being ordered rather than invited to attend the meeting, which he did not appreciate.