Gigaba on Zondo: Instead of clearing me, he asks that I be investigated

Former minister of public enterprises Malusi Gigaba has hit back at chairperson of the commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture Raymond Zondo following the release of the second report on Tuesday.

The second part of the commission’s report covers findings on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) Denel and Transnet and detailed Gigaba’s frequent visits to the Gupta family’s compound in Saxonwold, with the then Denel CEO Riaz Saloojee finding him there “soliciting SOE business for his friends,” the Gupta family.

“There is no doubt that the Guptas brought minister Gigaba to the meeting with Mr Saloojee [former Denel CEO] to show him that minister Gigaba was a mere tool in their hands, a dupe who would do their bidding and from whom Mr Saloojee could expect no protection.

Gigaba aided and abetted the Guptas’ capture of SOEs, reads the report.

READ MORE: State capture report: Gigaba ‘a tool’ for Guptas

Gigaba’s conduct called strong censure, reads the report, though according to the law, his conduct attracted no criminal sanction.

Taking to social media, Gigaba slammed Zondo, questioning how three years and R1 billion later Zondo still could not recommend that he be charged for with corruption.

“Three years and R1 billion later, DCJ Raymond Zondo has found NO evidence to warrant a recommendation that I be charged with corruption. Instead of clearing me, he asks that I be investigated some more in the hope that this will kill me, politically. If only he and his handlers knew,” said the former minister.

In the first report, Gigaba was found to have interfered in operational matters at both SAA and Eskom on behalf of the Guptas and the former president, despite his own evidence at the commission denying these allegations.

“So, Mr Gigaba’s evidence that he would not have been involved in operational matters must be rejected. Mr Gigaba was prepared to do wrong for the Guptas or Mr Zuma. A number of incidents can be pointed out in support of this,” the report read.

Among the incidents of interference was the reinstatement of Siyabonga Gama as CEO of Transnet Freight Rail, and Molefe’s appointment as Group CEO of Transnet at the admitted expense of a better candidate.

It was also found that he had interfered in Eskom’s operations on “many occasions”.

Additional reporting by Getrude Makhafola and Earl Coetzee