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The South African Communist Party has learnt reliably from several sources that another “Gupta-inspired cabinet shuffle” is imminent. The plan is to replace long-serving Minister of Trade and Industry, Cde. Rob Davies, with a recently sworn in ANC MP and business-person. The motivation for the intended shuffle is connected to the Gupta family interests in acquiring a stake in Arcelor Mittal, and their concern that the Department of Trade and Industry under the leadership of Minister Davies, as part of its commitment to localisation and job creation, is setting tough pricing conditions on the sale of steel into the downstream South African manufacturing sector.

The SACP has called for a broad spectrum investigation into the phenomenon of corporate state capture and a judicial commission of enquiry to reveal the nature, character and extent of the problem, and to contribute on the way forward to deal decisively with the problem. The SACP will seek engagement with the ANC and the alliance as a whole to discuss the problem in general, and specifically growing evidence of the manipulation of political appointments by the Gupta family. Failure to deal with the harmful problem of corporate capture in our movement, society in general and the State will hamstring not only the capacity of the State but also the whole of South Africa in safeguarding its constitutional democracy and democratic national sovereignty.

Issued by SACP