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By Zintle Mahlati 
2h ago
Johannesburg – Former Eskom board chair Zola Tsotsi had to explain the events that led him to meet one of the Gupta brothers, at Zondo’s Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Tuesday.
Tsotsi was questioned about three meetings he had with Tony Gupta in 2014.
At the time, he was the chairman of the Eskom board.
He told the commission that he agreed to meet with Tony Gupta three times because he feared retaliation from former President Jacob Zuma.
Tsotsi further explained that the first meeting took place at the Gupta residence in Saxonwold.
Gupta was interested in Tsotsi supporting the family’s desire to enter into a gas contract with Eskom in the Western Cape.
Tsotsi said that he explained that he was not aware of such a contract, but agreed that he would ask on behalf of the Guptas.
At the second meeting, which also took place at the Guptas residence in Saxonwold, Tony asked Tsotsi if he could ensure that a “man of his” who was then employed at MTN was appointed head of acquisitions at Eskom.
Tsotsi said he expressed reservations, but investigated whether such a role existed.
“I said they would have to ask the procurement people if there was a position. I thought he (Gupta) was looking for a form of support. I think he wanted me to pull the strings for him. I later established that the person went to work for Eskom, President, ”Tsotsi explained.
At the third meeting, which took place at Gupta’s Sahara Computer offices in Midrand, Tsotsi said that Gupta wanted him to intervene in an Eskom audit that found that Eskom’s sponsorship of The New Age, a Gupta-owned newspaper, It was entered irregularly.
Tsotsi said Gupta was visibly upset when he explained that he couldn’t intervene.
Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo, the head of the investigation, investigated Tsotsi as to why he considered it necessary to hold meetings with Gupta.
Zondo also disagreed with why Tsotsi, like many other witnesses who have admitted meeting the Guptas, chose to go to the Gupta family home rather than hold the meetings elsewhere.
Tsotsi said it was a well-established fact that the Gupta family would ask everyone to meet at their residence.
Zondo also questioned Tsotsi about what he feared would happen if he did not reunite with the family.
Tsotsi admitted that he feared being seen as an “enemy of ubaba”, as the Guptas used to use the name Zuma if someone refused to help the family.
“That is an interesting question. There was a well-known situation about them (Guptas) and their relationship with the president.
“I heard cases in which people were allegedly threatened by them if they could not provide the assistance they needed and they reported it to the president.
“I would have had the displeasure of the president if he did not agree. The president would have reprimanded me or told me to help them, which is what happened to my colleagues, ”he said.
Tsotsi had also told the investigation what Zuma had called him in January 2015 and told him that an Eskom board meeting scheduled for the next day should not take place.
He said Zuma never gave him an explanation as to why the meeting shouldn’t take place. It was unusual for Zuma, as head of state, to call for the meeting to be suspended, Tsotsi said.
Zondo asked, “Wasn’t it strange on its own that the president asked you to postpone the meeting?”
Tsotsi replied: “I did not understand why I received a message from the president in that regard. I admit that I could have asked him why he wanted the meeting postponed. “
Zondo said that he couldn’t think of any other reason why someone would want to postpone a meeting other than the fact that he or she did not want certain matters discussed.
Tsotsi has concluded his testimony.
MESS
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