WATCH LIVE | Gwede Mantashe takes the stand at state capture inquiry

Mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe has started his testimony at the state capture inquiry on Tuesday.

Mantashe's takes the stand after former government spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi appeared earlier in the morning.

On Monday Manyi denied the Guptas had been implicated in serious corruption and state capture at the Zondo commission.

Under cross-examination of evidence leader Vincent Maleka, Manyi first said he did not know if the Guptas were implicated and then said he “struggled to find evidence to corroborate the claim” that the Guptas were incriminated.

Manyi said most of the witnesses had been “poetic” in their testimony and told justice Raymond Zondo he ought to “take the cup” for bringing real evidence. But under rigorous cross-examination by Maleka on evidence he himself presented on government advertising in Gupta-owned The New Age when he was the department’s head, Manyi started to come undone. He resorted to filibustering and complained to Zondo about “loaded questions” from Maleka.

Earlier, former treasury head of communications Phumza Macanda told the inquiry how she was bullied by Mohamed Bobat, the adviser to Des van Rooyen during his short stint as finance minister.

She confirmed testimony presented by Lungisa Fuzile last week that Van Rooyen did not seem to know Bobat and Ian Whitley, who were allegedly assigned as his senior staff by the Guptas.