President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted meeting with the Guptas, but said there was nothing sinister about their encounters, according to his affidavit.
This revelation is contained in the affidavit released by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo Friday following a request by Ramaphosa.
In his affidavit, Ramaphosa said he had met with the Guptas several times, but nothing extended beyond that.
President Ramaphosa’s full affidavit Commission of Inquiry into State capture
The Guptas have been a subject of evidence delivered at the public inquiry into state capture over the last few months.
Several witnesses including former and current Cabinet Ministers, senior ANC figures and top government officials have implicated the controversial family in wrongdoing.
Ramaphosa said that during his exchanges with the Gupta brothers, “nothing of any consequence was discussed.” He said he had never engaged with them beyond basic greetings, pleasantries, and common courtesies.
Ramaphosa said he recalled meeting one of the Gupta brothers in 2016 where matters relating to their bank account closures were being discussed.
It was at this point, Ramaphosa said, that he raised the issue of the landing of their private jet at the Waterkloof airbase.
“I stated that they had, through their actions, placed the former president in an invidious position. Tony Gupta’s reaction was that permission for the plane to land had been obtained and given by the Indian High Commissioner.”
Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson attended Uganda wedding of Andile Ramaphosa in 2018.
Ramaphosa also revealed that Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson, the man behind the R500,000.00 donation to his CR17 campaign, as well as company director Sarom Mathenjwa, attended the wedding of his son Andile on August 4, 2018, in Uganda.
“Over 1,000 people attending this event, including between 150 and 200 guests who flew from South Africa for the occasion.
I have no recollection of any interaction with them at that event,” he wrote in his sworn statement.
It emerged earlier this year at the Commission that Bosasa had allegedly hosted the ANC’s elections call centre at its offices ahead of the national elections in 2014.
This was revealed by former Bosasa central divisions manager Frans Vorster.
Ramaphosa stated in his affidavit that during the last municipal elections in 2016, he took a tour of the ANC’s elections call centre located at Bosasa’s headquarters to meet the governing party’s volunteers.
He said he may have also interacted with Bosasa employees that were present at the call centre.
He also said he wasn’t aware of the source of funding for the call centre because this was handled by the elections team.
At a media briefing, CDJ Zondo emphasised that he was only releasing the contents of the affidavit at the president’s request.
“I do not want any impression to be created that this means that any time we get such an affidavit we would necessarily disclose them before the deponent gives evidence in the commission,” Judge Zondo said.
