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Home » South Africans React to Zuptagate: 15 of the Top Tweets

South Africans React to Zuptagate: 15 of the Top Tweets

Reactions to the confirmation by Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, that members of the Gupta family (who are renowned to have close ties with President Zuma) “offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then Minister Nene” have been met with outrage and – of course – humour in South Africa! Here are 15 of the top tweets: […]

By SAPeople
18-03-16 17:47
in Eish!
Guptastan

Reactions to the confirmation by Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, that members of the Gupta family (who are renowned to have close ties with President Zuma) “offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then Minister Nene” have been met with outrage and – of course – humour in South Africa! Here are 15 of the top tweets:

1. A country remapped – Guptastan! 

guptastan

2. “Dear #Guptas – move along. In fact, just move.”

– @Devi_SG

3. Oprah Give-Away – Everyone gets a cabinet post!

4. “So I wonder if uBaba is gonna try throw the #Guptas under the bus? Can you do that when they bought the damn thing?”

– ‏@Sisonkemsimang

5. From the Democratic Alliance

“Tomorrow @MmusiMaimane & @DavidMaynier [Shadow Minister of Finance] will lay charges against #Guptas in terms Sec. 4 of Prevention & Combating of Corrupt Activities Act”

6. Reminders of who started #ZuptaMustFall and a resharing of the Mashup Video

@mamongato – “Let’s all remember that it was the @EFFSouthAfrica and @Julius_S_Malema that warned us long time ago and he was called names #Guptas”

7. Statement from the Gupta family:

“These latest allegations are just more political point scoring between rival factions within the ANC… We challenge Minister Jonas to provide a full account of the supposed meeting that took place, under oath, in a court of law. Minister Jonas is attempting to cover up and divert attention away from his own relationships and practices. We are confident questions about his own ethical standards will be exposed.”

Read the full Gupta family statement here. 

8. “Now #Guptas are blackmailing #Jonas…Their sttmnt: We are confident questions about his (Jonas’s) own ethical standards will be exposed.”

– @justicemalala

9. “The #Guptas now need to do the honorable thing and recall #Zuma” 

– ‏@delme_cupido

10. “Only comrades who have refused appointments from the #Guptas are coming forward, brings a question..how many accepted?”

– @Mzaifane

11. “#Guptas are selling more seats than computicket”

– @Conor1Powell

12. “Hangry – the emotion many South Africans have on an empty stomach when they understand what the #Guptas hv done”

– @gumamey
hangry

13. Resharing of that Guptastan photo…

Guptas President Zuma
Sent in by Madhuri Kooverjee Chavda‎ – “Looks good doesn’t it?”

14. So who do you believe?

15. The Chris Hani quote reshare

“#ANC of #Guptas is insult to those who sacrificed their lives but not as much as those who support it #ZumaMustFall” – @rlimbanda

Chris Hani

And from The Presidency…

There has been no statement from The Presidency just yet, but in case President Zuma tries the “no recollection of knowing that minister” quote that he used when discrediting claims Vytjie Mentor made that she was offered a political position by the Guptas, this picture is being tweeted:

Many were tweeting about being sleepless in South Africa tonight as the nation waits to find out what will happen next.

President Zuma is scheduled to answer questions from Members of Parliament in the National Assembly Chamber at 14h00 on Thursday afternoon.

If you’ve missed out on the whole #Zupta saga, here’s a round-up from the DA:

The allegations implicating the Gupta family in Executive appointments include:

  • This week, Vytjie Mentor, previously the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises alleged that she was offered the position of Minister of Public Enterprises by the Gupta family on condition that she drop the South African Airways, South Africa to India route;
  • It is alleged that Fikile Mbalula was informed that he would be appointed to the position of Minister of Sports and Recreation by the Gupta family before the President shared this knowledge with him;
  • The position of Minister of Finance was allegedly offered to Mcebisi Jonas by members of the Gupta family;
  • The appointment of Des van Rooyen to Minister of Finance was allegedly known by the Gupta family beforehand; and
  • Two Gupta aligned senior advisors were appointed to National Treasury alongside Des van Rooyen, without proper procedure.
  • Aside from this, the Gupta-owned Tegeta Exploration was awarded the tender to provide Eskom with coal just after they bought the Optimum coal mine, despite the fact that Glencore, who previously owned the mine, was denied the Eskom contract on the basis that the coal was sub-standard.