He was amongst a few prominent African National Congress (ANC) members that supported Zuma at the Zondo Commission as he appeared on the allegations of state capture. He says three critical things happened during the nine-year reign of Zuma - the alliance partners functioned much better, and a massive outreach programme as well as a consultation programme were undertaken.

During the sitting on Monday, Zuma accused the former minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi and journalist Redi Tlhabi, and many others, of gunning for him. Mahumapelo says during the world economic recession that also hit the South African economy hard, Zuma rolled out a massive infrastructure programme worth a trillion rand, amongst other things. Zuma is expected to continue with giving testimony at the Commission today.

Former Government spokesperson, Temba Maseko, testified the Guptas demanded the R600m GCIS budget for media spend, to be spent on their now defunct newspaper, The New Age, which went to print for the first time in December 2010. Zuma says he cannot recall making a call to Maseko, giving him instructions to "help" the Gupta family. Zuma told Zondo that it would have been improper for Maseko to give the entire R600 million of the government advertising spent to the Guptas.

Mahumapelo, a controversial figure himself, had his office recently implicated after it allegedly approved the payment of R50 million for the running of the province’s two airports to SA Express without following proper procurement procedures in a deal described as “strange”.

North West Community Safety and Transport Management Department chief financial officer, Kutlwano Phatudi, told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that on March 16, 2015, the department received an invoice to make the R50m prepayment to the airline, but the amount had not been budgeted for.

Earlier the opposition parties in Parliament criticised the ANC for electing, amongst others, Mahumapelo as the chairperson of the portfolio committee on tourism. Mahumapelo, once a member of the so-called ‘premier league’, was stripped of the premiership and the province was placed under administration by the national government.

OFM News