President Jacob Zuma arrived in Goa, India, on Saturday with his delegation for the 8th BRICS summit.
His arrival comes as nine people are in custody in South Africa after a spate of looting and arson in Braamfontein on Friday night and Saturday morning, and questions over the safe storage of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on “state capture” which Zuma did not want released immediately.
The report was expected to gain insight into allegations that a family of wealthy industrialists who hailed from India and started a massive business empire in South Africa had a hand in the appointment of certain Cabinet ministers in South Africa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will look to reinvigorate the BRICS group of emerging nations at a summit this weekend with India seen as a bright spot in a bloc whose clout has been undermined by economic woes. / AFP PHOTO / MONEY SHARMA
South African Minister of State Security, Mr David Mahlobi is listed as being part of the BRICS delegation.
The summit theme is “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions”, and leaders and delegates will discuss intra-BRICS Cooperation.
Issues will include international conflicts, the fight against terrorism, and the reform of global system of governance.
This refers to the “democratisation” of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods Institutions. The presidency said leaders would also meet with the BRICS Business Council.
The delegations includes Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies; Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor and Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu.
A court application on Friday by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des van Rooyen to stop the release of the “state capture” report led to a postponement to 2 November. Van Rooyen argued in court papers that he was only given 24 hours to respond to “adverse findings” against him, violating his constitutional rights to respond to the allegations. Zuma’s own similar application would be joined with Van Rooyen’s.
Papers he placed before the court contain Madonsela’s questions to him. They contain allegations that Van Rooyen’s advisers influenced the awarding of a state contract to the Guptas while he was finance minister for four days, in December last year.
Madonsela had been expected to release the first part of her probe into allegations that the Gupta family influence Zuma’s appointment of Cabinet ministers.
Zuma has in the past referred to the Gupta family as his friends. His son Duduzane did business with them.
The second leg of Madonsela’s investigation was whether corruption was involved in the Cabinet’s attempt to stop the country’s major banks from closing the accounts of the Gupta’s holding company, Oakbay Investments.
They have denied it and have threatened to take action if the allegations do not stop.
Zuma in Goa while South Africa simmers with dissent added by NEWSNET DESK on
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