Ramatlhodi’s admission raises further questions over Guptas’ state capture

17 March 2016

Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ngoako Ramatlhodi, has become the latest member of President Zuma’s Cabinet to admit to being approached by the Guptas in what appears to be a concerted project of state capture by the Zuma allies.

This afternoon Ramatlhodi alleged that shortly after his appointment as Minister of Mineral Resources, the Guptas invited him for dinner at their home in Saxonwold. He declined this invitation.

This allegation compounds the suspicions over the replacement of Ramatlhodi by Mosebenzi Zwane as Minister of Mineral Resources, an individual with known ties to the Guptas. Was Ramatlhodi replaced at their behest?

Earlier this year Minister Zwane accompanied the Guptas to Switzerland to visit Glencore in order to negotiate the purchase of their Optimum Colliery by Tegeta Exploration. 

Tegeta, which is co-owned by the Guptas and Duduzane Zuma, managed to secure highly lucrative coal supply contracts for two Eskom power stations in conjunction with their purchase of Optimum. Curiously, when Optimum was owned by Glencore it was slapped with a R2.5 billion fine for supplying poor quality cool. This issue has reportedly been resolved after the change in ownership.

This raises serious questions about their political influence over Zwane’s appointment and the benefit the Guptas and Duduzane Zuma derived from it. 

Ramatlhodi and Zwane must come forward and fully disclose the nature of their relationship and interactions with the Guptas. The serious questions regarding the capture of the Executive by the Guptas must be answered.

Issued by James Lorimer, DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources, 17 March 2016