Mantashe says he's 'willing' to appear before state capture inquiry

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. File picture: African News Agency/ANA

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. File picture: African News Agency/ANA

Published Oct 29, 2018

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Johannesburg - The national chairperson of the ANC Gwede Mantashe says he is duty bound and willing to appear before the Zondo commission. 

Mantashe said having served as the secretary general of the ANC for 10 years he has to appear before the commission probing state capture especially regarding the ANC's meetings with country's big four banks. 

"There are many people who will go to the Zondo commission. Others will go because it is alleged that they've been to Saxonwold. Others will go to account. I've been ANC SG for 10 years. I have a duty to go to the commission to account on ANC meetings with the banks," said Mantashe on Monday. 

It emerged at the state capture inquiry that the ANC tried to convince banks to reverse their decisions to close Gupta related bank accounts. 

The party tried to do this by inviting the banks' representatives to meetings at Luthuli House in 2016. 

The country's big four banks, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank and FNB, closed Gupta-linked bank accounts in 2016, citing suspicious transactions and reputational risk. 

Immediately after the banks individually closed the accounts, representatives from the banks started receiving invites to meet with the ANC at Luthuli House.

ANC head of economic transformation Enoch Godogwana was tasked with issuing the invites for the meetings which included Mantashe and his deputy Jessie Duarte. 

Absa and Standard Bank were the only two banks that agreed to meet the ANC.  

Standard Bank's former head of compliance, Ian Sinton, told the inquiry that officials from the bank faced a number of questions from the ANC about their decision to close Gupta related bank accounts.  

"We were asked to comment on the idea that we were part of white monopoly capital oppressing black businesses. We were asked to comment on that we were taking instructions from Stellenbosch in closing the accounts. We denied that. It was the first time that I saw my boss Sim Tshabalala get very angry," said Sinton at the inquiry in September. 

Following the banks' appearance at the inquiry, questions were raised about the ANC  attempts to assist the Gupta family. 

Duarte has also said she is willing to appear before the commission and answer on the ANC's involvement in the establishment of Gupta newspaper The New Age. 

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