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Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen on Tuesday side-stepped a question by a News24 journalist on whether the Gupta family had offered him the job of finance minister.
“Look, I’ve been in this thing for quite some time, before they [the Guptas] even arrived in South Africa,” he told News24.
“I’ve been here and I’ve been living and I find it very hypocritical that all of a sudden some people don’t know me. Some of your colleagues who interviewed me and some of the people who groomed me to be what I am today all of a sudden because it suits them they don’t know me.”
Van Rooyen has been referred to as a little-known ANC backbencher in Parliament. However, he pointed out that he had been a mayor and had received awards.
“I find it very hypocritical. But we don’t expect praises from those detractors of our progress,” he said.
Reports emerged last week that the Gupta family offered Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas the job of finance minister, but he apparently declined.
In December last year, President Jacob Zuma faced a backlash after announcing that he was replacing Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene with Van Rooyen. Four days later, he backtracked and replaced Van Rooyen with Pravin Gordhan.
Zuma last month said Van Rooyen was the most qualified person he had appointed as finance minister.
