Parties ask for deeper Guptas probe

POLITICAL parties have called for, Thuli Madonsela, to expand the scope of her current investigation into the Gupta family and their business interests.

The calls follow a report in the Sunday Times yesterday on allegations over the family’s involvement in a R51-billion Passenger Rail Agency of SA deal to purchase 600 commuter trains.

DA transport spokesman Manny de Freitas said he would request Madonsela to take cognisance of the latest allegations “so that the investigation is as holistic as possible”. He said he would raise questions in parliament regarding Prasa’s own internal investigation into the locomotives tender.

“The Prasa board is running an internal investigation ... it’s led by Prasa and the board. They are effectively referee and player.”

EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said while the EFF supported the public protector’s investigations, nothing less than President Jacob Zuma stepping down would effectively address systemic corruption.

“Our conviction is that for as long as Zuma is president, the country will consistently fail. Saving of our country relies on more than her [public protector] investigation. If we are going to deal properly with corruption in this country, and in particular how it relates to the Guptas, you have to find a way of him stepping down,” Ndlozi said.

Madonsela is investigating complaints against the Guptas relating to tenders and licences awarded to the controversial family and the alleged outsourcing of government appointments by Gupta family members.

Madonsela’s spokesman Oupa Segalwe said he was unaware of any change to the scope of these investigations.

Cope spokesman Dennis Bloem said: “[ANC secretary general Gwede] Mantashe’s conveniently aborted investigation that investigated nothing and buried everything was the farce of the century.

“More than three quarters of the country no longer believe that the ANC is capable of tackling the issue of state capture.”

Bloem said ministers and deputy ministers should produce sworn affidavits regarding whether they had ever been approached by someone from the Gupta family or the Zuma family “together or separately‚ to lend support for any kind of an egregious business deal or any kind of deal whatsoever”.