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Former household manager confirms seeing Guptas at Jacob Zuma's official residence

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  • Household managers at Jacob Zuma's former official residence in Pretoria, confirmed parts of ANN7's former editor Rajash Sundaram's description of meeting rooms and security measures.  
  • The men testified at the state capture inquiry on Thursday. 
  • Sundaram previously alleged that a delegation attended meetings at Mahlamba Ndlopfu to discuss ANN7's editorial policy and the design of the studio. 

The state capture inquiry on Thursday shifted its focus back to some parts of ANN7's former editor Rajesh Sundaram's evidence, where he described meeting rooms and security measures at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, former president Jacob Zuma's official residence in 2013. 

Sundaram previously alleged that a delegation attended meetings at Zuma's official residence to discuss ANN7's editorial policy and the design of the studio. 

Sundaram described the meeting rooms in detail in his book, Indentured - Behind the Scenes at Gupta TV. 

He also testified at the Zondo commission in June last year.  

He claimed that when they arrived at the residence, they were not frisked at the gate.

Sundaram said they were also not asked to pass metal detector tests or required to give any names in detail to any of the security personnel.

He said he could not figure out if this was special treatment for the Gupta delegation or if security was "generally of a low standard".  

Two witnesses - former and current household managers at the official residence - were asked on Thursday to confirm Sundaram's description of the meeting rooms.  

Former house manager Ramaru Mekgwe said there had been some changes since 2013, but that Sundaram's description was correct.

He said the only difference was the TV not being mounted to the wall, as alleged by Sundaram. 

Mekgwe also confirmed he saw some members of the Gupta family at the residence during his tenure.  

However, he could not say how many times they had visited.

Current household manager Jacques Human also confirmed Sundaram's description and added that the only difference was the TV set. 

Asked about the security measures at the official residence, Human said: "Mr chair, there are no metal detectors at the front entrances of the residence. Guests, when they arrive, they will be entering through two security gates where they must be confirmed whether they are expected. So it is not specific that each person will be stopped at the second gate from Mahlamba Ndlopfu, especially because if it is several cars or if it is a convoy, they will have confirmation if they should come in or not."

During his testimony last year, Sundaram alleged that Zuma was actively involved in the running of the now defunct TV news channel. 

Sundaram told the commission that Zuma had a "much bigger interest" in the station. He also said although Duduzane Zuma, the former president's son, was a shareholder, his involvement was minimal.

READ: Rajesh Sundaram: MultiChoice, ANN7 and the president's stick

He told the commission about how he got the sense that the Guptas had good ties with the president.

"President Zuma was very warm toward them," he said at the time.

He said Zuma had an issue with mainstream media and that he felt it had not given him an opportunity to present his views.

He also claimed that Zuma had found the repetitive bulletins on eNCA "boring" and wanted something fresh for ANN7.

Sundaram detailed Zuma's direct hand in the creation of the now defunct news channel in his book. 

Sundaram, tasked with giving the channel a running start, also told the commission that he regretted setting up a news channel, which was used by the "mafia" for "propaganda".  

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