Johannesburg - The controversial Gupta family, who are President Jacob Zuma's close friends, viewed the National Treasury as a stumbling block to their ambitions of increasing profits from state contracts from R6 billion to R8bn.
They also bragged about having made Zuma’s son Duduzane, their business associate, a billionaire and that he had a house in Dubai.
In a meeting at the family’s residence in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, Ajay Gupta told Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas that the family had made a lot of money from the state.
He told Jonas that the bulk of the funds were held in Dubai.
This is what Jonas told former public protector Thuli Madonsela during her investigation into state capture.
They wanted to make Jonas a minister. Had he accepted the offer, Jonas would have been expected to remove key officials in the Treasury and other members of the executive management.
When Jonas declined, Ajay offered him R600 million “to be deposited in an account of his choice. He asked if Mr Jonas had a bag which he could use to receive and carry R600 000 in cash immediately, which he declined”.
On Wednesday, the Helen Suzman Foundation’s Piet Olivier said the foundation would study the State of Capture report before commenting.
At face value, the report contained “a fair amount of damning evidence” on state capture.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation director Neeshan Balton said they welcomed the release of the report and that its delay was unnecessary.
“South Africa is looking forward to the contents of the report. I think it will be one of the most scrutinised reports by the former public protector.
“We want the recommendations to be given immediate attention by those concerned,” he said.
On Monday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation took a swipe at Zuma, saying he had “failed the test”, among other criticism of the president.
On Wednesday, however, Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, slammed the foundation, calling its criticism of Zuma and the assertions of “the wheels coming off the state” alarmist, irresponsible and poorly substantiated.