'Zuma survives ANC showdown'

Supporters of President Jacob Zuma at the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting ensured that the embattled president survived another day, reports said yesterday. The president's backers fought against those detractors who were expected to lead calls for Zuma's censure and possible recall, according to the report.

The meeting came amid last week's revelations over the influence of the Gupta family on the government.

Former chairperson of Parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises, Vytjie Mentor, revealed that the Gupta family offered her the position of minister of public enterprises, on certain conditions. She also alleged that Zuma was in the next room at the Gupta's Johannesburg home when the offer was made.

Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas then confirmed that the Guptas offered him the position of finance minister before Nhlanhla Nene was removed last December.

The disclosures led to widespread controversy and calls for Zuma's head. However, Zuma supporters apparently plotted through the night on Thursday to defend the president at all costs, including "hanging out the dirty laundry of those gunning for the president", City Press reported.

The campaign against Zuma appeared to lose steam and he received a standing ovation at the start of the NEC meeting in Pretoria on Friday. An ANC source said that it was important for the party to project unity amid the divisive media coverage over the last week.

The Zuma supporters also successfully fought against an attempt to have his relationship with the Gupta family placed on the NEC agenda, and instead the issue of "state capture" was discussed.

Meanwhile, the former head of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has fingered Zuma as having played a key role in driving state business to the Gupta family, the Sunday Times reported.

The report said former GCIS head Themba Maseko claimed Zuma had arranged a meeting for him to "help" the Guptas. In the past week, Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor have lifted the lid on the purported extent of the Gupta influence.

According to the report, Zuma phoned Maseko directly to ensure he met the Gupta brothers. This flies in the face of the president's assertions in Parliament that he had no knowledge of the family soliciting government favours or being involved in the appointment of Cabinet ministers.

News24 reported last week that Zuma told the National Assembly he hired ministers, not the Guptas. "Go ask the Guptas, and Jonas, it has nothing to do with me. Where do I come in? Ask the people he said offered him the job," he said.

However, Maseko said when he met the Guptas they asked the GCIS to spend state money on advertising in The New Age newspaper. The family is purported to have said that they could exercise influence over ministers to buy advertising in the newspaper.

When Maseko declined a follow-up meeting, a heated exchange between him and Ajay Gupta is said to have ensued, with the latter saying: "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."

Maseko was later shifted from his position as GCIS CEO.