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ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe is expected to testify at the commission of inquiry into state capture on Tuesday regarding the party's decision to call several of the country's major banks to Luthuli House over closed Gupta accounts.
The ruling party's delegation, led by Mantashe, will address submissions made by the banks as well as the testimony of former public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan at the commission chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
In September, the commission heard that Standard Bank executives had been summoned to Luthuli House to discuss the closure of Gupta bank accounts following "suspicious" transactions.
"We are limiting our submissions on two things: The submissions of the bank and some aspects of issues raised by comrade Barbara Hogan in relation to systems or working of the ANC," spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the media during a short adjournment outside the commission.
READ: ANC to send Mantashe to lead delegation at state capture inquiry
During her testimony, Hogan said that Mantashe was present when former president Jacob Zuma fired her in October 2010. She further alleged that Mantashe was consulted by Zuma in some of his Cabinet reshuffle decisions.
The country's four big banks closed the Guptas' accounts in 2016 over 70 listed "suspicious transactions" totalling almost R7bn that were recorded by the Financial Intelligence Centre, News24 previously reported.
Suggestion that banks should be 'more responsive'
One of the four banks, Standard Bank, in September submitted to the Zondo commission that the ANC as well as government ministers exerted pressure on the bank to rescind its decision to close Gupta bank accounts.
Standard Bank head of compliance Ian Sinton testified that in a meeting, former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane told the bank that the governing party had the power to change banking laws.
"Towards the end of the meeting they reminded us that, as a bank, we operated under a licence granted by government, and they suggested we should be more responsive to concerns they were raising on behalf of government," Sinton told the commission.
Kodwa clarified that the events spoken of by the bank as well as Hogan occurred while Mantashe was secretary general of the ANC under Zuma's presidency. Mantashe is also expected to respond to Hogan's testimony.
The ANC previously stated that it has been following the proceedings of the Zondo commission with "keen interest" and commended the commission for the "thorough and deliberate" manner in which it has conducted the hearings.
"We are proud, as an organisation that leaders and members of the movement have availed themselves in their personal capacity to assist the commission in unearthing the vile practices that undermined not only the ANC, but society at large," spokesperson Pule Mabe said on Friday.
Proceedings are expected to begin at 10:00. Former head of the Government Communication and Information System Mzwanele Manyi will first wrap up his testimony, having testified on Monday.
