Zuma denies factional deployments at SOEs
Former president Jacob Zuma has denied allegations of factional appointments to the boards of state-owned entities during his term in office.
The allegations were made by former public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan, one of the nine people who have implicated him at the commission of inquiry into state capture.
On day three of his testimony, Zuma said the African National Congress (ANC) has a deployment committee that recommends people who can be appointed to boards and management of SOEs.
He dismissed Hogan's testimony that these appointments were based on loyalty to the party alone and proximity to certain people in the party and the tripartite alliance.
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"Why should we not take people who are loyal to the party if you know they have skills and everything? You cannot have a government based on factions."
Zuma also denied ever instructing Hogan to appoint Siyabonga Gama as Transnet CEO.
At the time of his appointment, Gama was facing several disciplinary charges.
Hogan said despite the board being opposed to Gama's appointed, Zuma wanted to override this.
"It couldn't be like that because we don't work like that. There is a process which determines who becomes the winning candidate. What ministers would do is just come and inform thepresident of the process and I am not fond of making such determined statements. I would never had said this," Zuma told the commission.