Ngoako Ramatlhodi: 'Guptas had power to summon Zuma to their home'

Ramatlhodi is testifying at the inquiry on Wednesday morning about his tenure as mining minister and how the controversial family tried to influence him.

JOHANNESBURG - Former Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that the Guptas would summon the whole Department of Mineral Resources to their private home in Cape Town during a Mining Indaba.

Ramatlhodi is testifying at the inquiry on Wednesday about his tenure as mining minister and how the controversial family tried to influence him.

"So, they were demonstrating power and called the whole department.”

But he says the Gupta’s influence was deeper than that.

“The Guptas had the power to summon the president to their home and they would boast about it.”

Ramatlhodi says it was clear former President Jacob Zuma was no longer in power.

“What he has done was to auction executive authority, and now, the next president who comes is going to inherit an empty office in terms of authority.”

He says the African National Congress' national executive committee told Zuma his relationship with the controversial family was toxic, but the former president said he was indebted to the Guptas because they took care of his family.

(Edited by Mihlali Ntsabo)