Guptas offered me a ministerial post, says ex-MP

Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor has disputed President Zuma's claim that he "has nor recollection" of her. File picture: Leon Lestrade

Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor has disputed President Zuma's claim that he "has nor recollection" of her. File picture: Leon Lestrade

Published Mar 15, 2016

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Parliament – Sidelined former senior ANC MP and portfolio committee chairwoman Vytjie Mentor has claimed in a Facebook post that the powerful Gupta family offered her a ministerial post.

This is a screen grab of the Facebook post by Vytjie Mentor about Gupta's pic.twitter.com/MQpBWfMeCk

— Pierre de Vos (@pierredevos) March 15, 2016

“But they hap (sic) previously asked me to become minister of public enterprises when Barbara Hogan got the chop, provided that I would drop the SAA flight route to India and give to them,” Mentor said in a Facebook message to the Democratic Alliance’s Johann Arbie.

“I refused and so I was never made a minister. The president was in another room when they offered me this in Saxonwold,” she added.

Mentor chaired Parliament’s portfolio committee on public enterprises but was removed from the post after it emerged that she got Transnet to bankroll a trip to China to join President Jacob Zuma on a state visit at a cost of more than R150 000.

Read: I don’t even know the Guptas, says Cele

The Facebook post followed a report in the London-based Financial Times that late last year, shortly before Nhlanhla Nene was fired as finance minister, the family had asked Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas whether he was interested in heading the portfolio.

The Guptas have denied this while Jonas and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan have refused to comment.

Read:  ‘Zuma under ANC fire over links with Guptas ’

The Democratic Alliance said Parliament’s portfolio committee on public enterprises must call the Gupta family to allow them to answer to the mounting questions over their capture of state entities.

DA public enterprises spokesperson Natasha Mazzone said: “In the light of this serious allegation, I urge the chairperson of the portfolio committee on Public Enterprises to allow them to answer to the mounting questions over their capture of state entities.”

African News Agency

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