Guptas offered me a job - Mcebisi Jonas

Deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas confirmed on Wednesday that The Guptas had offered him the position of finance minister.

In a statement he said: “I have decided to respond to and clarify certain questions that have been in the public domain recently. I do so in accordance with my conscience, my political values and the best traditions of my organisation, the ANC, of which I have been a member since my early teens.

“ I regard our Constitution as being sacrosanct and it embraces the values that South Africans struggled for, and what we live by. I was appointed Deputy Minister in terms of the Constitution by the President of the Republic.

Any practice that conflicts with the prescripts of the constitution must be challenged in the interest of our democracy and the accountability we have to our people.

“The ANC that we have been, and continue to be proud members of, has offered us the opportunity to serve our country, an honour that I do not take for granted. My historical commitment to the liberation of our people has not waned.

“My daily decisions and actions are informed by the understanding that true political freedom will be achieved through deliberate and active management of a

transformed yet inclusive growing economy.

The current economic climate presents

many risks for our country, which requires responsible leadership to avoid a full-blown crisis.

“We have to unite on the key issues relating to managing the macro-economic risks, while urgently unlocking new sources of growth and job creation.

South Africa requires all hands on deck.”

“The extent to which we are able to navigate the current macro-economic challenges, restore investor confidence and rapidly stimulate growth, will depend on heightened levels of political leadership.

“The narrative that has grown around the issue of ‘state capture’ should be of concern to all responsible and caring South Africans, particularly those of us who

have accepted the task to lead our people. We cannot afford to ignore the obvious

impact these sentiments may have on our country and the resultant potential of undermining our moral authority.

“Neither can we afford to allow the attempts to capture the state to divert us from dealing with the challenges that our country faces.”