Zuma reckons he’s got nothing to do with this whole state capture business

Former president Jacob Zuma’s attorney has submitted a letter to the commission of inquiry into state capture expressing their viewpoint that none of the testimony given by Mcebisi Jonas, Vytjie Mentor, Phumla Williams, or Themba Maseko implicates him in crimes, TimesLive reported.

This came after the inquiry notified Zuma of the evidence witnesses may have as legal implications for him.

Zuma’s lawyers say they are “satisfied” that the testimony has not shown that any laws were broken.

Attorney Daniel Mantsha writes: “We are satisfied that nothing in the aforementioned witnesses’ statements implicates or may implicate our client in the infringement of the aforementioned statutes‚ policies of government, and relevant ethical codes.”

READ MORE: Phumla Williams is telling the truth – Makhosi Khoza

On Monday it was reported that acting government spokesperson Phumla Williams said she believed former president Jacob Zuma shielded ex-communications minister Faith Muthambi as she “wreaked havoc” at the Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS).

Earlier, on August 30, former GCIS CEO Themba Maseko told the commission that then-president Zuma phoned him and told him to “help” the Guptas.

In his testimony, Maseko described how on his way to a meeting with Ajay Gupta, Maseko received a brief call from Zuma, who spoke in Zulu.

Roughly translated, Zuma issued an instruction that Maseko was to help the people he was about to meet. He was not told exactly what help was required.

READ MORE: Mentor moved to new hotel prior to her last day of testimony

Maseko mentioned finding the call unusual, and says it was “very clear the call was to give me a message”.

Mentor testified that Zuma entered the room and tried to “calm her down” after she was offered a ministerial position by Ajay Gupta.

She further alleges that the Hawks instructed her to remove Zuma’s name from a criminal complaint she laid against the Gupta family.

While Jonas did not directly implicate Zuma himself, he claims that he was also offered a ministerial position as well as R600 million at a meeting at the Gupta residence where the former president’s son Duduzane Zuma and businessman Fana Hlongwane were apparently also in attendance.

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