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Collen Maine describes leaked Gupta emails as 'utter rubbish'

ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine. Picture Credit: Gallo Images
ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine. Picture Credit: Gallo Images

ANC Youth League Collen Maine has described reports that former Oakbay chief executive officer Nazeem Howa prepared notes for him on how to respond to media questions as "utter rubbish".

This comes after weekend newspapers reported on explosive emails that expose the extent of state capture. Among them was an email from Howa on how Maine should respond to some of the anticipated media questions.

In the email, which Howa is said to have sent to President Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane and Tony Gupta, he says that he needs to sit down with the "young man [Maine] to work on this", referring to the media questions to which he provided answers for.

Howa anticipated that the media will ask why Maine decided to step down as MEC to take up a low-tier post as the leader of the youth league.

Howa's proposed response:

Some may call it jumping from the frying [pan] into the fire, but it was not a decision I hesitated to take, nor one that I have regretted from day one.

Our youth are our future, so we need to focus our energies on getting our fullest potential from our youth. I will use ANCYL and any other vehicle to drive opportunities for our youth. 2016 must be the year of black economic emancipation.

Speaking on Radio 702, Maine labelled the reports as "utter rubbish" adding that he has not dealt with any media enquiry or speeches with Howa.

"I must just say that I saw the report for the first time yesterday in the newspaper and I would like to put it on record that that is utter rubbish," said Maine.

"It's not true, I was supposed to be asked by the newspaper that publicized the story and I don't do any media enquiries or any of my speeches with Howa. I've got a team in the youth league that I'm working with, we've got internal capacity in the youth league so we don't need to outsource. So I have never had any interaction with Mr Howa for that matter."

He went further to call on people to access his emails and check if he has had any communication with Howa or any member of the Gupta family.

The emails also revealed President Zuma's plans to relocate to Dubai with his family. When asked his view on this Maine said he does not believe Zuma would want to leave the country.

"Well I'm not President Zuma, President Zuma will have to respond for himself. Knowing the South African media, I think people are just playing politics. The president, I don't think he would really want to leave but as I'm saying, that question will best be placed to be answered by the president," said Maine.

Des Van Rooyen

Cooperative Governance Minister Des Van Rooyen, who has also been implicated in the leaked emails which allege that the Guptas paid for his Dubai trip said he was not at liberty to comment as the matter is sub judice.

''The Minister emphasised that the issue raised [in the] article are part of the broader legal review of the so-called state capture report as such he will not comment on the matters that are sub judice," News24 quoted a statement released by his office.

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