CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 18: Former ANC MP, Vytjie Mentor breaks down during an interview on March 18, 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa. The former MP relives the day she was taken into a meeting with the Guptas and offered a cabinet position. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Esa Alexander)
Things heated up for Mentor at the state capture inquiry.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 18: Former ANC MP, Vytjie Mentor breaks down during an interview on March 18, 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa. The former MP relives the day she was taken into a meeting with the Guptas and offered a cabinet position. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Esa Alexander)
The state capture inquiry continued on Tuesday, and this time, we saw, for the first time, VytJie Mentor being put under intense scrutiny by the Zuma defense.
Mentor, in her initial testimony, had stated that she was offered a cabinet position by the Gupta family. The meeting was allegedly at Saxonworld, Johannesburg, when Mentor was offered the position of minister of public enterprises.
Mentor further alleged that this position was available to her on the condition that she cancel South African Airways’ (SAA) Johannesburg to Mumbai route.
Read – State capture inquiry: Vytjie Mentor reveals “anger and fear” towards Guptas
Gupta’s application to cross-examine Mentor was denied by Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo. However, Duduzane Zuma’s defense was allowed to call Mentor’s testimony into question.
Mentor, after all, had alleged that her first encounter with Atul Gupta was orchestrated by the young Zuma on a trip to China in 2010.
Discrepancies in Mentor’s testimony were laid bare on Monday by Advocate Mahlaphe Sello.
It was put to her that the travelling records of the infamous trip to Saxonworld contradicted parts of her statement.
Mentor had stated that she was summoned to Saxonworld on Monday, 15 October 2010. The records suggest that 15 October fell on a Friday. Furthermore, the department of Home Affairs had no recorded documents showing that Atul Gupta had travelled to Beijing, China.
Read – State capture inquiry: Vytjie Mentor unpacks the Zupta connection
This is crucial because it casts doubt on Mentor’s credibility on the claim she made about how she first met the Gupta head.
Mentor alleged that she was coerced to meet with Gupta in Beijing, However, the defense put records showing that Atul had not ‘legally’ left the country.
Mentor, though, remained adamant on the fact that the Gupta family is able to move about as it wished, outside of the control of authorities.
The commission has yet to hear of Jacob Zuma’s involvement. Zuma has, up until now, denied his involvement in any corruption claim made against him at the state capture inquiry.