Former Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane on Tuesday said he had no influence on the sale of Optimum Coal Mine in 2015.
The Glencore mine was sold to Tegeta after undergoing business rescue.
Zwane has on Tuesday told the state capture commission he did not put any pressure on Glencore to sell the mine to the Gupta-linked company.
Evidence leader advocate Pile Seleke and Commission chair deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo have grilled Mosebeni Zwane over his controversial trip to Switzerland in 2015.
He says he had gone to meet with Glencore to discuss possible retrenchments…
“When I was the minister, there was a necessity for me to go to Switzerland on invitation. I had initiated the meeting, because when I arrived at the department, there was an issue of people losing their jobs – about 3,000 jobs.”
Zwane said he had no personal relationship with the Guptas and associate Salim Essa.
The former minister is alleged to have introduced Essa as his advisor during a controversial meeting in Switzerland in December 2015.
However, he’s denied the allegation at the Zondo Inquiry.
“He introduced himself as an advisor of Tegeta. When Mr [Glencore CEO Ivan] Glasenberg came, Salim was already there. I then introduced myself, I also introduced Salim as a advisor of Tegeta.”
At the meeting Optimum Coal Mine was sold to Tegeta.
-EWN
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