Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has been reported to parliament’s ethics committee and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane for “deliberately misleading” parliament.
Zwane recently stated in a written parliamentary reply that his December 2015 trip to Dubai was organised and paid for by the Department of Mineral Resources.
DA MP James Lorimer yesterday said this clashed with information in the public domain about him being a passenger on a Gupta-sponsored flight to Dubai.
"The public protector's State of Capture report found that Zwane had not used the ticket the department purchased for him to travel from Zurich to Dubai. The question is: How did Zwane get to Dubai?" asked Lorimer.
"Leaked Gupta e-mails list the minister, along with Tony Gupta, as a passenger on a Gupta-sponsored flight that was cleared to fly to Dubai on 2 December 2015.
"Based on the replies he submitted to parliament, it appears that Zwane deliberately misled parliament ... In addition to these allegations, Zwane has also seemingly misled parliament when he failed to satisfactorily answer a DA parliamentary question regarding interaction with the Gupta family," Lorimer said.
"In his response to the DA, Zwane stated that he 'has not met any member, or close associate, of the Guptas'.
"Yet, in the media, the minister has been quoted saying: 'Let me put the record straight: I met them; I've engaged them.'
"Furthermore, the leaked Gupta e-mails show the minister was due to meet Tony Gupta at the Guptas' Saxonwold compound."
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