ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe on Thursday said the Guptas were being arrogant by claiming that Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas' admission that he was offered a job by the family was mere "political point scoring".
"When the Gupta family says in its response it is about factions in the ANC, I look at that and I think that it's an arrogance of power," Mantashe told broadcaster eNCA.
"When you think that you have an undue influence as a company, you say many things about an organisation, you don't respect it and then you can say anything. That is arrogance of the superlative degree."
Mantashe was responding to a question posed by eNCA about the family's denial of Jonas' claims that it had offered him former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene's job. Jonas confirmed on Wednesday that the Gupta family had offered him the job of finance minister, but that he had rejected it.
"I rejected this out of hand. The basis of my rejection of their offer is that it makes a mockery of our hard earned democracy, the trust of our people and no one apart from the President of the Republic appoints ministers."However, the family flatly denied this, saying: "These latest allegations are just more political point scoring between rival factions within the ANC."To be clear: any suggestion that the Gupta family or any of our representatives or associates have offered anyone a job in government is totally false."
Guptas arrogant, disrespectful - Mantashe
"When the Gupta family says in its response it is about factions in the ANC, I look at that and I think that it's an arrogance of power," Mantashe told broadcaster eNCA.
"When you think that you have an undue influence as a company, you say many things about an organisation, you don't respect it and then you can say anything. That is arrogance of the superlative degree."
Mantashe was responding to a question posed by eNCA about the family's denial of Jonas' claims that it had offered him former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene's job. Jonas confirmed on Wednesday that the Gupta family had offered him the job of finance minister, but that he had rejected it.
"I rejected this out of hand. The basis of my rejection of their offer is that it makes a mockery of our hard earned democracy, the trust of our people and no one apart from the President of the Republic appoints ministers."However, the family flatly denied this, saying: "These latest allegations are just more political point scoring between rival factions within the ANC."To be clear: any suggestion that the Gupta family or any of our representatives or associates have offered anyone a job in government is totally false."
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