Cape Town - Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor has come forward with claims that the Guptas offered her the public enterprises minister position that was at the time occupied by Barbara Hogan while President Jacob Zuma was in the next room at the Guptas’ Saxonwold home.
Zuma said he had no recollection of Mentor.
Read: #Zuptagate: Zuma fights for his political life
This is what you need to know about Vytjie Mentor.
Mentor served as Chair of the Caucus from 2004 to 2008. During this time, Jacob Zuma was deputy president and Thabo Mbeki was president.
In January 2008, ANC MP Gwede Mantashe announced that ANC MP Ncumisa Nkondlo will replace Mentor as Chairperson of the Caucus.
In May 2009, she was appointed the chairperson for the public enterprise committee.
According to reports, Mentor (who was still the public enterprises portfolio committee chairperson) joined Zuma on a state visit to China. This was shrouded in controversy.
The ANC launched an investigation of Mentor after it was revealed in 2010 that Transnat paid her R155 000 for the abovementioned trip to China, including a first class air ticket.
According to PoliticsLive, she was subsequently fired from her position as chairperson of the public enterprises portfolio committee after she reportedly asked for sponsorship for the trip without going through the usual parliamentary protocol.
Mentor has managed to keep a low profile for years...until now.
IOL Intern