S. African President Zuma set to face tough questions in parliament

South African President Jacob Zuma would face tough questions ranging from economic woes to his "close relations" with the wealthy Indian Gupta family during his next parliamentary appearance, parliamentary sources said on Wednesday.

Zuma is scheduled to answer parliamentary questions on Thursday at a time when rating agency Moody's is visiting the country to decide whether to downgrade its sovereign rating to junk status, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Moreover, the Gupta family has come under the spotlight again for its allegedly meddling in South Africa's political affairs, said the sources.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has said it would question Zuma about his mismanagement of the economy and the process where he named David van Rooyen as finance minister and then fired him within three days in December last year.

DA leader Mmus Maimane claimed on Wednesday there was growing evidence suggesting the Gupta family enjoyed enormous and improper influence over Zuma and his government.

"I am thus asking the President to explain, before Parliament and the people of South Africa, whether the Gupta family and others played a role, directly or indirectly, in the decision that sent the country's economy into a tailspin," said Maimane, adding that currently "8.2 million South Africans are jobless."

News emerged earlier this week alleging the Gupta family had offered the post of Minister of Public Enterprises to Vytjie Mentor, a former MP of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

In a post on Facebook on Monday, Mentor said the Guptas "previously asked me to become Minister of Public Enterprises when Barbara Hogan got the chop, provided that I would drop the SAA (South African Airways) flight route to India and give to them."

Mentor said she refused and so she was never made a minister. She claimed that Zuma was "in another room" when the Gupta family offered her the position.

The Gupta family, which reportedly has huge businesses in South Africa, has denied her claims.

The Presidency said on Tuesday that Zuma had "no recollection" of Mentor and was therefore unable to comment on her claims.

In an interview with local eNCA TV in January, Zuma said he was not bothered by people's perceptions of his relationship with the Gupta family.

"Do you know the Guptas have been the friends of the presidents of this country? I am not the first one," Zuma said.

He described criticism of his relations with the Indian family as politically motivated. Endit