ANC general-secretary Ace Magashule says the Guptas are "good businesspeople" and that, until the law takes its course, they are innocent until proven otherwise.
"My son works for Sahara, it's no secret. I work with any and every business person. They [the Guptas] have been good business people."Ace Magashule
Magashule was speaking to Talk Radio 702 breakfast show host Bongani Bingwa on Tuesday morning. When asked about the relationship between his son (who works for Gupta-owned Sahara) and the Guptas, Magashule responded by saying whatever needed to be investigated had been left to law enforcement agencies. "That's where I leave the matter."
"My son, Tshepiso Magashule, works for Sahara, it's no secret. I work with any and every businessperson. They [the Guptas] have been good businesspeople. Until the law takes its course, one is not guilty until proven guilty," he said.
Magashule denied allegations of him filling posts in the Free State provincial government, where he is premier, and distanced himself from any wrongdoing, claiming that his "name was not at the centre of anything'".
"What do I do to fake news and allegations? There is nothing I can do," he said.
Magashule emphasised that it was a universal principle that nobody was guilty until proven otherwise.
This comes after the National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) took control of the multimillion-rand Estina dairy farm in the Free State and froze bank accounts of the Guptas and companies linked to the family.