LIVE FEED: State Capture Inquiry, November 27, 2019

Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, who heads the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. PHOTO: Karen Sandison/African News Agency (ANA).

Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, who heads the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. PHOTO: Karen Sandison/African News Agency (ANA).

Published Nov 27, 2019

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Johannesburg - The Zondo commission will on Wednesday morning shift its focus to corruption allegations at Transnet. 

An expert witness Allister Chabi is expected to testify. 

Earlier this week, the commission focused on evidence from former national intelligence officials regarding attempts to investigate the Gupta family. 

Former intelligence officials Gibson Njenje and Mo Shaik took the stand on Tuesday.

Both officials painted a gloomy picture of their attempts to investigate the Gupta family, who had a close relationship with former president Jacob Zuma. The two had spearheaded the investigation because of suspicions of a security threat posed by the family. 

The US authorities had asked questions about the family regarding a uranium mining deal. There was also the issue of the family having intimate knowledge of Zuma’s 2010 cabinet reshuffle. These issues raised red-flags and prompted their decision to investigate the family.

Njenje corroborated Shaik’s evidence that former state security minister Siyabonga Cwele had been against the Gupta investigation.

“He (Cwele) seemed to have other interest other than the national interest," said Njenje.

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"This was an ongoing matter that we were looking at and the manner that the minister was approaching us was a little shocking," he said.

Njenje also told the commission about his frustrations in contacting Zuma and explaining the importance of the investigation. When Njenje and Shaik met with Zuma they were told the investigation was not a good idea.

“The position was that we were being blocked from doing our work.”

Njenje like Shaik were offered ambassador positions in attempts to push them out of SSA. 

They both declined the offers and resigned from the government. 

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