How low can it go? The controversial Gupta family members are back in South Africa after some time away from the country in an apparent attempt to dodge the limelight. And, says Fin24 in a report, they holding hands with president Jacob Zuma again.
When the Guptas left South Africa in April the media said they were “fleeing” the country. The departure followed months of revelations from government officials that they had met with the family and had been offered different positions in return for their cooperation. The family was accused of trying to “capture the state”, using their friendship with the Zumster to secure lucrative contracts and strengthen their business dealings with government.
Banks closed Gupta business accounts and other financial groups such as KMPG and Sasfin distanced themselves from the family. The Guptas and Zuma’s son Duduzane resigned from their companies in an attempt to salvage the deteriorating relationships.
The Gupta family spokesman Gary Naidoo now told Fin24 the Guptas never fled the country. No, they merely went to a wedding. A long wedding of around two months.
According to the Fin25 report “(the media) made mention of the Gupta family leaving the country… One of the sons of the Gupta family was getting married and the reason for them being out of the country was for the wedding… They’ve subsequently come back to the country…They’re very much South Africans and they continue to stay South Africans,” he said.
Naidoo said that the family has taken a lot of strain, with many of the children facing verbal abuse at the schools they attend. The family remains friends with president Jacob Zuma, though Naidoo conceded that it has become more difficult for the family to engage with the Zumas as friends.
“It doesn’t help with media reports tainting the relationship and throwing out wild accusations,” he said.
Overall, the Gupta family is back, and just want business to go on, Naidoo said.
