Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane, ex-SA Airways board chairperson Dudu Myeni and the Guptas brothers will be summoned to appear before the inquiry into state capture after several attempts to get them to come to Parliament failed.
The portfolio committee on public enterprises on Tuesday said it wanted to wrap up its investigation and would not be held to ransom by Duduzane, Myeni and the Guptas.
Duduzane and the Gupta brothers are reportedly out of the country. Myeni has reported sick, and the committee is awaiting a doctor’s note explaining the nature of her illness.
Members of the committee said they have been pushed into a corner by Duduzane, Myeni and the Guptas, leaving them with no choice but to issue the summons.
Committee members have also warned against any medical practitioner who may want to wrongfully assist Myeni that there will be consequences.
Myeni is alleged to have claimed that she was being hounded like a criminal. Acting chairperson of the committee Zukiswa Rantho has denied this, saying the committee had not put criminal charges against anyone.
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“This is what we hear from Myeni. It is not us who will tell you ‘you have done this and you will be charged,” Rantho said.
The Guptas lawyers, BDK Attorneys have reportedly written a letter to the committee, indicating that their clients would not appear because they are out of the country. The letter also criticised the inquiry, calling it “political showboating”.
A letter from Duduzane’s lawyer, Gary Mazaham, indicated that his client had not received transcripts of the testimonies of Ben Martins, Lucky Montana and Suzanne Daniels.
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Unless the transcripts are received, the lawyer said he could not advise Duduzane to answer to the committee.
On Tuesday, the committee grilled Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba on allegations that he helped the Gupta family capture state-owned entities when he was public enterprises minister.
The former public enterprises minister came face to face with MPs and stood his ground that he did not help the Guptas get tenders from state-owned enterprises, saying this was against the law for a minister to get involved in procurement processes.
He admitted attending Diwali festivals at the Gupta mansion in Saxonwold and knowing Salim Essa, who he appointed to the Broadband Infraco board but did not know of his dealings with the Guptas back then.
Gigaba also denied that he has an account in Dubai, after he was asked by EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu. “I do not have an account in Dubai. I never have, I never will. I have one account with FNB.”
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Shivambu asked Gigaba about an allegation in the “public discourse” that he had transported R500 000 to his girlfriend.
To this Gigaba said it was “absolute rubbish”. Shivambu suggested that there was a syndicate including the Guptas, Salim Essa and Nazeem Howa who use politicians like Gigaba, Lynne Brown and Mosebenzi Zwane.
Gigaba appealed to the chair to intervene, indicating that such allegations should be submitted as a formal statement.
Shivambu once again asked Gigaba if he had spent R500 000, which was generated from the Guptas, on his girlfriend. “I have already said these allegations are absolute rubbish. There is no truth to them.”
Gigaba called the allegations as a vilification campaign that Shivambu is actively involved in. Chair Zukiswa Rantho said that issues gathered in the inquiry would be processed.