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Gigaba to appear before Eskom inquiry on Tuesday

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Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has confirmed that he will appear before the parliamentary inquiry into Eskom on Tuesday, the same day in which the Gupta brothers and former South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni have been called to testify.

Zukiswa Rantho, who is chairing the inquiry, said so far only Gigaba has indicated that he will come to answer questions about governance at Eskom.

Rantho said he would be asked to account on issues of procurement and contracts signed between public companies and the business empire of the Gupta family.

Myeni, who has pleaded illness, has not responded to the latest missives from the committee, Rantho said.

“We have not heard, so we take it that she is coming.”

Myeni last week told the committee she could not come to testify in Cape Town because her health did not allow long distance travel. Much to MPs’ irritation, she failed to provide a doctor’s note.

The appearance of the Gupta brothers is equally moot.

“They did not confirm,” the chairperson, an African National Congress  (ANC) MP, said.

A police probe into their affairs has intensified in recent weeks, starting with a raid on their Saxonwold home on the day former president Jacob Zuma resigned.

Rantho said the committee has not engaged with the family directly but with their lawyers. Asked which of the Gupta brothers had been asked to appear, she said that was left to the family to decide.

“It depends on them, who they are sending.”

The brothers allegedly used their influence over the Zuma administration to clinch lucrative contracts with parastatals.

Should they fail to show up on Tuesday, the committee would take a decision on whether to summons them. The same applied to Myeni.

The committee wants to question her on testimony it heard last year that she gave instructions, during a meeting at Zuma’s home, on suspending Eskom executives who were later ousted from the company though they were not found guilty of any wrongdoing.

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