Zuma's pals in R5-billion gas deal

South Africa’s “new guptas” – former jailbirds Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene – are being lined up as BEE partners in a lucrative deal with a Russian oil company‚ thanks to their increasingly cosy relationship with President Jacob Zuma‚ the Sunday Times reported.

It revealed that the two convicts-turned-politicians travelled to Russia at the same time as State Security Minister David Mahlobo and a delegation from South Africa’s Central Energy Fund to sell themselves to Russian company Rosgeo as possible BEE partners.
Last week the Sunday Times reported that the pair has such influence with Zuma that they were in a position to nominate a future deputy minister of higher education.
The state-owned entity and government officials were in Moscow to meet with Rosgeo – just a week before the R5-billion gas deal was signed on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Xiamen‚ China‚ on September 4‚ the newspaper said.