'I believe Zuma fired me for refusing to do his bidding'

She was removed in 2010 and offered the position as the country’s ambassador to Finland, which she declined. 

Hogan testified at the commission of inquiry into state capture for a third consecutive day on Wednesday. 

She told the commission on Tuesday that Zuma and other cabinet ministers tried to influence her and pressure her when to appoint their preferred candidates for CEO and board chairpersons at Eskom and Transnet.   

“It is my firm belief, not my firm knowledge, that my resistance to the strong views of President Zuma in relation to the appointment of certain preferred candidates to the positions of CEO and members of board directors, including the CEO and chairperson of Transnet at the time I was minister, led him to the conclusion that I would not do his bidding and behave improperly and unlawfully.

"I believe it was for that reason I was removed by the president.”

ALSO READ: The next round in Moyane vs the President

Hogan said one of the reasons she came to the conclusion was the fact that Zuma never offered a reason for her removal. 

She told the commission she had never met or engaged with members of the Gupta family but encountered them at the home of the former minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, where she was invited for lunch with her late husband and ANC struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada. 

“The next occasion was sometime after I was a minister, the High Commissioner of India invited Mr. Kathrada, some of the Pahad family for a luncheon to meet with a cabinet minister from India who happened to be an anti-apartheid activist. About two-thirds into the lunch Ajay Gupta arrived but he went to sit by a table by himself and he appeared to be in a filthy mood, spoke to no one and just glared at all of us.”

Hogan was asked about a trip to India she took with Kathrada and which was allegedly sponsored by the Guptas. 

She said Kathrada was invited by the South African High Commissioner in India to commemorate former president Nelson Mandela’s birthday and speak at schools and other events. 

Hogan said they only noticed when they were returning from India, the traveling agency had copied Sahara computers CEO Ashu Chawla on emails related to the trip. 

"We were never told who paid for the trip and we never asked," said Hogan. 

She concluded her testimony by stating that the conduct of Zuma and other cabinet ministers when it came to Transnet and Eskom was not only negligent, but reckless, and designed to frustrate the work of the board of directors. 

Hogan told the commission there is a need for a rigorous and transparent process in the appointment of executives and board members of SOE’s.