Corruption investigators in South Africa have concluded that the country’s former President, Jacob Zuma always did anything the wealthy Indian-born Gupta family wanted him to do from early in his first term insisting that the influence of the family on him was overwhelming.
The commission which has been empowered to investigate allegations of widespread corruption in South Africa during Zuma’s nine years in power, known as ‘State Capture’, have asserted the former president placed the interests of corrupt associates ahead of those of his country.
The team further asserted that the Guptas identified Zuma as someone whose character could be used against the people of South Africa to advance their own business interests.
Africa Today News, New York reports that these scathing conclusions were part of the fourth part of the commission’s report – released on Friday.
Read Also: Putin Is ‘A Man Of Peace’, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma Declares
Central to the commission’s investigations has been the claim that the Guptas bought their way into the most influential organs of the state via Zuma.
Its latest report details how Zuma hired and fired ministers central to the running of the country’s economy at the behest of the Gupta family.
In particular it describes the sacking of a finance minister because he would not comply with the Guptas’ wishes, and the appointment of two subsequent ministers who were friendly to the family’s interests.
Zuma, who became president in 2009, and the Gupta family, who came to live in South Africa in 1993 just as white minority rule was ending, deny any wrongdoing.
Africa Today News, New York had last June reported that, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defying an instruction to give evidence to the commission but was later freed on medical parole.
Its fourth report also details a web of corruption at the state electricity utility Eskom, culminating in key members of the company’s executive being put in place by the Guptas.
Africa Today News, New York