Ajay and Atul Gupta. Photo: Flickr / Damanpreet Singh
Ajay and Atul Gupta. Photo: Flickr / Damanpreet Singh
Close allies and relatives of Jacob Zuma have reacted to the Gupta arrests with some top-class ‘whataboutery’ overnight. Atul and Rajesh Gupta were detained in the UAE on Monday, and could soon be extradited to South Africa.
Gupta arrests: Latest news and updates for Tuesday 7 June
Two of the brothers are now facing a long and protracted legal process, whereas Ajay Gupta – the only one of the three not arrested – remains a free man. The news has been welcomed by an overwhelming majority of South Africans.
The Indian billionaires stand accused of orchestrating state capture, and hollowing out public-owned institutions for their own benefit. Aided and abetted by Jacob Zuma, the Guptas were able to plunder resources from SOEs such as Transnet and Eskom.
Zuma supporters cry conspiracy over Gupta arrests
However, some of Zuma’s biggest cheerleaders have attempted to shift the goal posts. His outspoken daughter, Duduzile, was the first to suggest that the Gupta arrests were merely a cover for the ‘farmgate scandal’ currently embroiling Cyril Ramaphosa.
What A Coincidence! Distraction Perhaps? https://t.co/5zxHQa3hG2
— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) June 6, 2022
President Ramaphosa is feeling the heat, after it was revealed that millions of dollars were hidden at his property in Limpopo. Cyril allegedly failed to report the robbery of his cash stash to police, raising suspicions across the board. Mzwanele Manyi has since urged Mzansi to ‘focus’…
Focus #PhalaPhalaFarm pic.twitter.com/IvJrXD5GLd
— Mzwanele Manyi (@MzwaneleManyi) June 7, 2022
Carl Niehaus, meanwhile, also rolled up his sleeves and joined with the cries of conspiracy. He blamed the media for ‘trying to distract the population’ from Ramaphosa’s struggles, while also accusing the SA press of deceit…
— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) June 6, 2022
No distraction, but ‘cash stash’ cannot be forgotten
Mmusi Maimane, meanwhile, believes that Farmgate has to stay in the news cycle alongside the Gupta arrests. Put quite simply, he wants accountability and transparency from cases involving both Cyril Ramaphosa AND Jacob Zuma.
“The arrest of the Guptas is very good news. They must be brought to book. But this does not mean we should forget about ‘Farmgate’. Those allegations are very serious and the explanations given very suspicious. What we deserve is full accountability and transparency.”
Mmusi Maimane
