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Was Manyi pushed to leave BBC over Guptas?

Cape Town - Former government spokesperson and black business lobbyist Mzwanele Manyi’s exit from the Black Business Council (BBC) has been linked to the Gupta family.

Two sources told Business Day this week that Manyi was forced to resign as head of policy at the BBC due to growing perceptions of ties to the Gupta family. He remains on the council by virtue of being president of the Progressive Professionals Forum (PPF).   

READ: What next for Manyi

While not confirming this was the reason, BBC general secretary George Sebulela told the paper that the BBC has “had constant pressure that the BBC is aligned to the Guptas because of Manyi — that’s a fact”.

Manyi rubbished the accusation, the paper reported.

In February, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan accused the BBC of trying to “capture” National Treasury, sources who wish to remain anonymous told City Press.

Gordhan made the accusation at a National Economic Development and Labour Council meeting - where the BBC and Manyi were present - shortly after his Budget Speech.

Manyi asked Gordhan to retract this statement, which he refused to do, a source told City Press. Manyi told City Press that Gordhan had made the statement about the BBC representing “a family”, and also that he made the “capture” remark in an “innuendo-type articulation”.

Gordhan, Treasury and the BBC had a meeting following this, where they discussed the issues in order to move forward in a positive way.

Following Manyi’s resignation from the BBC, Economic Freedom Fighters MP Floyd Shivambu tweeted that Parliament will now listen to the council without Manyi. “Well done to BBC for evicting the Guptas' Mgijimi. Now Parliament will listen to the Black Business Council. Well done!”

Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier has been digging into funding with regards to the BBC as well as other Manyi-headed organisations such as the PPF and the Decolonisation Foundation.

As a result of his parliamentary questions, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown revealed this year that Eskom and Transnet sponsored the PPF with R840 000 in donations.

Reacting to the revelation, Maynier said Eskom and Transnet should not support an organisation “which is deeply involved in politics and which campaigns against the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and National Treasury”.

The Sunday Times this week claimed that PR firm Bell Pottinger “either helped set up or funded two organisations, the Decolonisation Foundation and Andile Mngxitama's Black First, Land First, that were critical of the Treasury and ‘white monopoly capital'."

It said “Decolonisation Foundation head Mzwanele Manyi yesterday did not respond to questions, saying only that there was no direct link between himself, his foundation, Bell Pottinger or the Gupta family”.

Manyi is seeking legal advice to sue the paper for the claim.

In June last year, Fin24's sister publication Rapport reported that Manyi was a strong candidate to become director general of mineral resources, something he denied at the time. The Gupta family allegedly lobbied for Manyi's appointment.

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