- The Gupta-owned New Age newspaper received hundreds of millions of rands from the state in sponsorship fees for a series of business breakfasts hosted by the SABC.
- An investigator says the breakfasts are an early example of the Gupta familys bid for influence and cash and shows evidence of ex-president Jacob Zumas hands-on role.
- An Indian broadcasting exec who was in the room when the deals were being hashed out has welcomed a probe into the scheme.
- News24 Business front page .
A decade ago, well before the publication of Thuli Madonselas State of Capture report or the first inklings of the State Capture Inquiry, a host of big names lined up for interviews at breakfast briefings hosted by the Gupta-owned New Age newspaper TNA and broadcast on the SABC.
The inquiry would later find that state departments paid at least R1 million, often more, to sponsor these 45-minute events where interviewers lobbed softball questions at ministers and top government officials.
Between 2011 and 2017, Eskom paid over R50 million in sponsorship fees, while Transnet paid an astonishing R122 million. While the briefings were supposed to be a joint venture between the TNA and the state broadcaster, some senior SABC officials later said they were unaware the newspaper was raking in millions in rands.
Despite the vast sums spent, the inquirys chair, former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, concluded that the state-owned entities received little in return for the sponsorships.
The most exposure that Eskom gained from these breakfasts was some opportunity to display its branding at the breakfast. This included hanging some banners, he said.
