Nedbank CEO reveals details of Gupta intervention – report

Nedbank CE Mike Brown has revealed that Communications Minister Faith Muthambi was part of the interministerial committee delegation he met with to discuss the closure of Gupta bank accounts.

Muthambi, who was not appointed by the Cabinet to the committee, is known to be a strong supporter of President Jacob Zuma.

Her participation in the meeting with Nedbank adds to questions around the standing of the committee.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, who was appointed by the Cabinet to participate, refused to do so.

The minister has applied to the High Court in Pretoria for a declaratory order that ministers cannot intervene in the relationship between banks and their clients.

The committee was appointed after the country’s four major banks ceased doing business with Gupta-owned Oakbay‚ amid allegations that the family was using its relationship with Zuma to secure business and other favours.

A number of the banks did not agree to a meeting with the ministerial committee as there was uncertainty about the legality of the committee.

In an affidavit supporting the minister’s application, Brown detailed the meeting between Nedbank and the committee.

His affidavit included an e-mail in which Brown’s personal assistant requested the names and titles of the government officials who had attended the meeting on May 6.

Zarina Kellerman, from the Department of Mineral Resources and secretary of the committee, sent a list of names that included Muthambi, Mzwanele Manyi and a second adviser, Sandile Nene.

Manyi, who is running a campaign in support of the Guptas, was meant to have attended the meeting in his capacity as an adviser to Muthambi, but did not. This was not clarified in the affidavit.

Kellerman’s e-mail also stated that Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant attended the meeting, but Brown disputed this in his affidavit.