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President Jacob Zuma sailed through the question-and-answer session in the National Assembly this afternoon with the two biggest opposition parties absent for most of the session.
In fact the Economic Freedom Fighters did not bother showing up because the party no longer recognised Zuma as a legitimate president; while the Democratic Alliance caucus walked out with its leader Mmusi Maimane, who was thrown out for refusing to take his seat.
It was a much-anticipated session, coming a day after deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas dropped a bombshell by confirming reports that the Gupta family, who are aligned to Zuma, offered him the finance minister position days before then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was fired.
A former ANC MP, Vytjie Mentor, had rocked the boat much earlier in the week when she revealed a similar offer was made to her back in 2010.
But Zuma came prepared.
He asserted that he was in charge of the government, but repeatedly pleaded ignorance in terms of the allegations by his two comrades.
He began by quoting the Constitution at length on his prerogative to hire and fire members of the executive. He added: “The Constitution does not require me to consult anyone before I appoint or remove a minister or a deputy minister.”
Maimane, who had posed the original question in writing, inquired: “Deputy minister Mcebisi Jonas has already confirmed that the Guptas offered him the position of finance minister before it was offered to Des van Rooyen.
“In fact, Mentor has already been on record saying she was also offered a Cabinet position by the Guptas. It has become quite clear that power no longer sits at Union Buildings, in fact, worse, it does not even sit at Luthuli House, and it now sits at Saxonwold [where the Guptas live].”
Maimane wanted Zuma to say whether the Gupta family had ever offered anybody a position in Zuma’s Cabinet or whether Jonas was lying.
He also wanted to know whether the president would resign if the allegations were true.
Zuma giggled quite audibly.
“I appointed Jonas as a deputy minister, that’s what I offered Jonas. I never offered Jonas a ministry; that’s why he is a deputy minister.
“If Jonas says he was offered by the Guptas, I think you will be well-placed to ask the Guptas or Jonas. Don’t ask me; where do I come in? I have no business with that. I have absolutely no business.”
Zuma continued: “I am in charge of the government. I appoint in terms of the Constitution, there is no minister who is here who was ever appointed by the Guptas or by anybody else. The ministers were appointed by me.”
The United Democratic Movement’s leader Bantu Holomisa, in his follow-up question, asked what Zuma would do to get clarity or verification on Jonas’ allegations.
“Andingeni ndawo” [Leave me out of this] Zuma responded in isiXhosa.
“Jonas says the Guptas gave him the position of minister. Therefore I say ask those people where they got the right to appoint a minister.”
Zuma concluded that there was nothing to investigate and no need for an investigation.
When Zuma told the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Sibongile Nkomo that the rand was already in decline when he fired Nene, Maimane rose on a point of order to challenge Zuma’s assertion.
