JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – 4 March 2011: Indian businessmen Ajay and Atul Gupta speak to the City Press from the New Age Newspaper’s offices in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 March 2011. (Photo by Gallo Images/City Press/Muntu Vilakazi)
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – 4 March 2011: Indian businessmen Ajay and Atul Gupta speak to the City Press from the New Age Newspaper’s offices in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 March 2011. (Photo by Gallo Images/City Press/Muntu Vilakazi)
Chair of the portfolio committee on public enterprises, Zukiswa Rantho, has said that there is now a date set aside for the Guptas to appear before the inquiry over Eskom’s role in state capture.
As reported by Fin24, Rantho stated that the Gupta brothers will be required to appear at the committee, which has so far grilled Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Lynne Brown, and Zola Tsotsi.
When will the Guptas appear at the Eskom inquiry?
Though there has been no formal invitation to the billionaires, the Parliamentary sub-committee have drawn up their plans for the programme of inquiry. Their schedule has pencilled the Guptas in for an appearance on Tuesday 6 March.
It will mark an extremely rare public appearance in South Africa for the Gupta brothers. They very much prefer to lurk in the shadows. And, with the current climate of disdain against the state capture architects, it’s perhaps best it stays that way.
Will they definitely show up?
Their legal team is doing all they can to both soften the line of fire, and push the hearing dates back. It’s a Zuma move if we’ve ever seen one.
Lameez Omarjee reports that the Guptas’ lawyers are setting out their demands. They want a detailed list of questions given to them at least 14 days before their scheduled appearance date, and they also want to be given notice of the hearing “at least 10 days in advance”.
Who is Zukiswa Rantho?
She is currently the ANC’S Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises. The Eastern Cape MP has been chairing the Eskom inquiry since it began in November 2017. Last week, she had fun grilling the besieged Matshela Koko (Head of Generation at the utility) over his illicit dealings with the Guptas.
Rantho will look to question the Gupta brothers in regards to Suzanne Daniels’ testimony. The former Head of Legal Affairs at Eskom said that both Ajay Gupta and his business associates tried to influence executive decisions on the board.
