The three suspended were the CEO, Mr Saloojee, the CFO and a group company secretary. They were suspended in September last year while the board examined a number of alleged allegations related to “irregular acquisitions”.
The DA now calls on both the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, and the Minister of Public Enterprises, Lynne Brown, to remain resolute against the deal proceeding until such a time as it has been established that all conditions set by National Treasury and Public Enterprises have been met and that the deal is free from political influence. The Ministers are duty-bound to ensure that state resources are not compromised or captured through the deal with the Guptas.
The party is in the process of submitting questions to the Minister of Public Enterprises, as to why the CEO was fired and for a full explanation of the reasons. The party has requested that president Jacob Zuma’s big buddies, the Guptas family, appear before the Public Enterprises portfolio committee to answer for the Denel-Asia and VR Lazer deal and other issues surrounding Eskom.
According to reports, Mr Salojee was under pressure from third parties to form arms deals during 2014 and 2015. He was also pressured to make certain appointments in Denel subsidiaries. It is his refusal to bend to these politically motivated pressures that have in all probabilities led to his dismissal.
It was recently confirmed that the VR Laser deal with Denel did not have Treasury approval. Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, stated that the registration of Denel Asia was illegal and contrary to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). How on earth was this deal allowed in the first place?
The Portfolio Committee must now investigate the capture of a number of state entities by the Guptas. But the Committee Chairperson, Ms Letsatsi-Duba, has so far blocked these requests on baseless grounds given that there is ample scope to conduct this investigation. Can we conclude that she is attempting to protect President Zuma from harm?
The fact that members of the Gupta family have fled South Africa does not mean that their influence has left with them, argues the DA. “They retain ownership of a number of companies linked to dubious state contracts. The need for a full investigation is only growing. We cannot allow billions in public funds to be used to prop up ailing state entities for the benefit of a few connected individuals with links to President Zuma. The DA will continue to push for transparency rooted in our commitment to ending corruption, which is a scourge to all South Africans.”
