Zwane admits to appointing advisers without knowing them much

Former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane had a hard time yesterday maintaining that he was not a “stooge of the Guptas” as he was grilled for appointing their associates as advisers without knowing them.

The credibility of Zwane’s evidence came under more scrutiny as he explained his relationships and the role he allegedly played in aiding the questionable business interests of the Guptas and their associates.

When asked about his advisers Kuben Moodley and Malcolm Mabaso and their business ties to Gupta associate Salim Essa, Zwane said he had not known about their business ties or Gupta links.

He said he had known the two well from the Free State and that he had needed Moodley because he knew how to interact with businessmen while Mabaso knew organisational matters, was familiar with “legal jargon”, and “was from a legal family”.

When pressed by commission chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, to explain Mabaso’s ties to the ANC, Zwane conceded that he did not know if Mabaso was an ANC member and that he did not know any qualifications he held before appointing him.

He also conceded that he did not what Moodley's profession had been beside having an MBA.

 Zwane is accused of having been an enabler of state capture by doing the bidding of the Guptas and of having used his political influence to pressure Glencore into selling Optimum coal mine, which had been contracted to supply coal to Eskom, to Gupta-linked Tegeta.

He had  flown to Switzerland in 2015 where he and Essa met with Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg to discuss the controversial sale.

Evidence leader advocate Pule Seleka SC pointed out that his two advisers had been business associates of Essa by the time they were appointed by Zwane.

Zwane said: “At the time when I was appointed it would have been difficult for me to know if this person is in business partnership with that person and what that means because I am not a business person.”

The Guptas had taken Zwane on a free ride to India after the Switzerland meeting despite his claim that he had been on an official trip to Glencore in a bid to save jobs and not to do the bidding of the family.

Zondo asked why he had flown with the Guptas in their private jet to India instead of using the flight booked for by the government after the meeting, to which he said had a voice problem and that “if I go through the commercial line, I would have to explain myself”.

Zwane said: “I thought because these ones are going there, I will get into this private jet of theirs, arrive in India and rest.”

Zondo questioned why Zwane was heading to India to interact with business people, if he had a vocal condition.

“Because you were so sick, why didn’t you just go back home and cancel your trip?” he asked.

Zwane also moved to dispute evidence that his medical bill had been paid for by the Guptas when he visited India for an operation.