The Gupta family has on Sunday pleaded with the Democratic Alliance’s David Maynier to stop using the family name “as a football in his party-politicking battles”.
The family, in a statement, was responding to utterances made by Maynier following the controversial family’s announcement that it had decided to sell all their shares in South Africa.
The family said at the weekend that exiting their shareholdings in their South African businesses would benefit existing employees and lead to further growth.
Maynier reportedly responded to the announcement likening the family to “rats abandoning a sinking ship in South Africa”.
“Things have evidently reached a ‘tipping point’ and the Gupta family have decided that it’s in their best interests to abandon ship in South Africa,” he reportedly said on Sunday.
The family responded to Maynier’s utterances saying his comments could not go unanswered. The family said it had become accustomed to Maynier and his colleagues’ “shoot-from-the-hip” approach.
The family said despite making it clear that they remained South African citizens and planned to continue living in this country, Maynier attempted to grab media headlines by adopting emotive and dramatic language around the family leaving the country.
“We would have expected Maynier to at least be honest enough to acknowledge that our businesses have always committed to co-operate with any statutory investigation announced, so it is disingenuous for Maynier to suggest that our companies will not participate as required in any investigation.
“I am sure Maynier also understands that the directors and management teams are responsible, in line with the Companies Act, for all decision making.”
The family said it was surprised that Maynier had not acknowledged the impact of the decision had on direct and foreign investment.
“As we believe many potential investors will be concerned about the treatment meted out to the family through a media narrative without any basis of wrongdoing.
“We appeal to Maynier to not use us as a football in his party political battles,” the family said.