Politics and patronage in South Africa
All the president's friends
A family close to the heart of power
Middle East & AfricaMar 19th 2016 edition
THE Gupta family estate spans a leafy block in Saxonwold, a genteel suburb of Johannesburg. Security guards mill about the gated entrance to a cluster of mansions; the main house, with its soaring white columns, has the bearing of an official residence. The family, led by brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh, came from Saharanpur, in northern India, to South Africa from 1993 onwards. They have since built a business empire with interests in mining and media, along with a close friendship with President Jacob Zuma.
Quite how far their reach may stretch was underscored on March 16th when the deputy finance minister, Mcebisi Jonas, alleged in an official Finance Ministry press release that members of the Gupta family had offered him the position of his boss, the respected finance minister Nhlanhla Nene. He says he rejected the offer. Mr Nene was sacked in December and replaced by an unknown backbencher, who was himself fired a few days later. At the time many saw the move as an attempt to rein in Mr Nene, who had stood up to powerful allies of the president and resisted some of Mr Zuma's projects, such as an unaffordable plan to buy nuclear power stations costing 1 trillion rand ($63 billion).
The claim by Mr Jonas, which has been denied by the Gupta family, sheds new light on this incident. It follows other claims relating to the influence exercised by the Gupta family, including one by Vytjie Mentor, a former MP for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), who wrote on Facebook that she too had been offered a ministerial post by members of the family.
The Guptas' friendship with Mr Zuma is well known: neighbours say they have often seen the presidential motorcade arrive at the compound. Mr Zuma's family members, including one of his wives, have worked for Gupta-owned companies and hold plum directorships with them. Duduzane Zuma, one of his sons, has a stake in a company that is buying a coal mine in partnership with the family.
The Gupta brothers firmly deny exploiting political connections to land favourable deals, but their influence has caused deep divisions in the ANC. With every new revelation, Mr Zuma's hold on the party is likely to weaken.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline "All the president's friends"