Vytjie Mentor. Picture: TREVOR SAMSON
Vytjie Mentor. Picture: TREVOR SAMSON

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PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has denied knowing that former African National Congress (ANC) caucus chairperson and party MP Vytjie Mentor was allegedly offered a job as a Cabinet minister by the Gupta family — with Mr Zuma in another room of their mansion.

The Presidency issued a statement on Tuesday night saying: "President Jacob Zuma has no recollection of Ms Mentor. He is therefore unable to comment on any alleged incident in her career."

Mr Mentor dropped a bombshell when‚ in a conversation with Democratic Alliance member Johann Abrie on Facebook‚ she asserted that she was offered a job as minister of public enterprises by the Gupta family on the condition that she dropped the South African Airways flight route to India to give it to them. "I refused and so was never made a minister‚" she said. "The president was in another room when they offered this to me (at the Gupta home) in Saxonwold (Johannesburg)‚" she said. Mr Abrie has referred the conversation to Parliament.

The offer was allegedly made after Barbara Hogan was removed as minister of public enterprises, when Ms Mentor was the chairperson of the public enterprises portfolio committee.

The Gupta family denied on Tuesday that there had been a meeting between them and Ms Mentor where she was offered a top job, as she had claimed.

They challenged Ms Mentor to file an affidavit stating under oath that she was offered a ministerial position by the family.

"Facebook is not the appropriate forum to air such a complaint, and we can only assume it is an attempt to gain personal profile and media attention. We challenge Vytjie Mentor to file an affidavit," a Gupta family spokesperson said in a statement.

"South Africa has a robust constitution and a strict process governing appointment of ministers and deputy ministers.

"We have every faith that if anybody tried to abuse power around appointments, they would be rebuffed by our constitution and our strong political leadership."

The family also said because the allegations were false, publishing them would be deemed defamatory and that it would be taking legal action.

Zuma criticism

This is not the first time the former MP has criticised Mr Zuma.

In February, she joined other ANC members in speaking openly of being "embarrassed’’ and "pained’’ by the president after he was forced into a climbdown on Nkandla.

Two years after denying liability for the splurging of millions in taxpayers’ money on his private KwaZulu-Natal homestead‚ Mr Zuma announced that he had written to the Constitutional Court proposing to repay some of the money in line with the recommendations of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

Ms Mentor was scathing about the U-turn.

"The praise-singers are praising President Zuma for doing what he should have done two years ago. They are praising him for daring the nation on so many‚ many occasions by refusing to pay what he knew all along he had to pay.

"After taking this country to such lows‚ they are still praising him? Such ‘love’ for an individual above the love of the country‚ above the love of the organisation is mind-boggling. So help us God‚’’ she posted on Facebook.

TMG Digital, with News24