Mbeki Foundation reissues statement to rebut Zuma’s testimony

The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has, via Facebook, reissued a 2016 statement to rebut claims made by former president Jacob Zuma during the first day of his testimony at the state capture commission of inquiry.

According to Zuma, the controversial Gupta family had stronger and closer relations with his predecessors, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Zuma told the commission he first met the Guptas during his time as deputy president during Mbeki’s tenure.

The former president said the family was introduced to him by Essop Pahad after the Guptas came from seeing Mbeki at his presidential residence.

“They knew a lot of comrades,” Zuma said, adding that the Guptas had close relations with Mandela and Mbeki which were “stronger” than the one he had with them.

The former president questioned, however, why only his relationship with the Guptas had been scrutinised and labelled as being “corrupt”.

Part of the statement re-issued by The Thabo Mbeki Foundation reads: “In the last three weeks, we have noted news reports attributable to various persons claiming some link between former president Thabo Mbeki and the Gupta family. We have agonised about this matter, avoiding to respond and thus descend to the lower depths to which the allegation desperately attaches.”

The Foundation went on to reiterate: “For the record, president Thabo Mbeki did not at any point introduce the Gupta family to President Zuma.”

The Foundation went on to add that even if it were true that Mbeki had introduced the Gupta family to Zuma, he would not be held responsible for whatever may or may not have transpired thereafter between Zuma and the Gupta family.

The foundation also denied claims that a member of the Gupta family served as an economic advisor to Mbeki during his time in office.

“No member of the Gupta family ever served in any economic advisory body during the time when president Mbeki served as head of state. It is nevertheless true that Ajay Gupta‚ served on the International Marketing Council board (now Brand SA). Mr Ajay Gupta joined the board of the then IMC by agreement of the board on the recommendation of then minister in the presidency, Essop Pahad, who rightly or wrongly thought that he had the skills, knowledge and capacity to facilitate the work of the Council – not because of his alleged proximity to the president. The IMC board reported to the minister in the presidency. Former minister Pahad can further elaborate on the matter.”

The statement was initially issued in response to Mpho Masemola, a representative of the ExPolitical Prisoners Association who made claims similar to Zuma’s in a 2016 interview with eNCA.

Read the full statement below:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10157011028154713&id=38131714712

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