Related: Gupta brothers arrested in Dubai over South Africa fraud allegations
The mansion hidden behind towering walls in the tree-lined suburb of Saxonwold in Johannesburg is now empty, its occupants having long since fled.
It was from here the Gupta brothers — Ajay, Atul and Rajesh — allegedly once held court and for a time became the centre of power of Africa’s wealthiest country.
As news spreads of the arrest in Dubai of two of the siblings, Rajesh and Atul, South Africans can hope they will eventually receive answers relating to claims of a near-decade long corruption spree that has pushed the country towards bankruptcy.
At the height of their power, it is alleged the brothers appointed government ministers and had others fired. Ex-Cabinet member Mcebisi Jonas gave evidence last year before a commission of inquiry that he had been personally summoned to the Saxonwold mansion to meet the Guptas.
Brothers accused of wielding vast influence
Mr Jonas said he was offered a $44 million bribe to take the promotion from deputy to finance minister. The Guptas were said to have made it clear that Mr Jonas would be their man, and would be required to sign off on projects such as a multibillion-dollar nuclear deal with Russia. Mr Jonas said he turned down the offer and was subsequently fired by his boss, then-president Jacob Zuma.
The Guptas arrived in South Africa from their native Uttar Pradesh in India during the early 1990s, when a country emerging from apartheid stagnation was ripe with possibilities. For nearly 20 years they lived in relative obscurity while building up a prosperous business empire, mostly based around computer imports.
Yet, they also found time to hitch their wagon to leading political figures, including Zuma, who served as president from 2009 to 2018 and is awaiting trial for corruption and fraud.
Just how influential they had become began to emerge in 2011, when the brothers arranged for a private wedding party to fly from India in a chartered Airbus. The flight flouted local aviation rules by landing at the country’s main air force base, Waterkloof in Pretoria, which is usually barred to civilian aircraft.
The 200 passengers disembarked without showing passports or clearing customs. Then, they boarded buses and were whisked to the wedding venue in Sun City.
Close ties to Zuma presidency
This would be the first of series of scandals involving the Guptas and their growing influence over the Zuma presidency.
They stood accused of appointing trusted associates to the boards of state-owned enterprises such as electricity company Eskom and national airline South African Airways.
Eskom over the past decade went from a profitable group to nearly $40 billion in debt and regularly inflicts extended blackouts on the country, critics say in large part due to a legacy of mismanagement during the Zuma-Gupta era.
The destruction of value during this time was not limited to South Africa. One of Britain’s leading public relations companies Bell Pottinger was forced into bankruptcy in 2017, when it was revealed it was on a retainer to the Guptas. Bell Pottinger ran a campaign using Twitter bots, to smear Zuma-Gupta critics as agents of a cabal of "white monopoly capital" wanting to reverse black liberation.
Bloomberg has linked at least $3.5bn in direct payments from state-owned groups to Gupta companies. The South African Reserve Bank has suggested as much as $32bn may have been stolen during the chaotic Gupta years.
As the tsunami of scandal built up, crowds would gather outside their mansion to protest. When Zuma was forced out of the presidency by his rival Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018, it was clear time was up for the Guptas and the family abandoned their compound and fled the country.
The Gupta brothers deny any wrongdoing and have fought the application of red notices issued by Interpol. They say they are the victims of a political witch hunt in South Africa.
“I foresee this will take many years to play out,” says legal analyst Llewelyn Curlewis.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Super Rugby play-offs
Quarter-finals
- Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
- Lions 23, Sharks 21
- Chiefs 17, Stormers 11
Semi-finals
Saturday, July 29
- Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
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- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Power: 905hp
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AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
