Politicians are saying Ramaphosa has no option but to sack Nene who lied to MPs about the extent of his contacts with the wealthy Indian Gupta family accused off profiting from an inappropriate close relationship with former President Jacob Zuma.

Nhlanhla Nene told the commission of inquiry into state capture that was sacked as Finance Minister by then President  Jacob Zuma for failing to approve policies that would benefit the Gupta family.

In giving this testimony, he said he had visited the Gupta home in Johannesburg a number of times.

This contradicted an earlier assurance he had given MPs that he had barely known the Guptas.

In the storm that erupted from this, Nene, who was reinstated by President Cyril Ramaphosa last February, apologised to the people of South Africa. 

And yesterday (Monday) he asked Ramaphosa to relieve him of his duties.

His departure would be financially awkward. Credit ratings agency Moodys is due to  report on South Africa later this week and Nene is due to deliver his mini Budget to Parliament on October 24.

Opposition parties say Ramaphosa’s commitment to build a clean South Afrian society is at stake.

They say Nene must go , for lying to MPs, even if he refused to do the Guptas’  bidding.

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Both men were sacked by Zuma in 2011 for following up on this tip off from their U.S. counterparts.

Mo Shaik, who headed up the South African Security Service which deals with foreign intelligence threats, had close ties the CIA.

In 2011 he was asked by the U.S. agency why the Guptas had bought a uranium mine and where they planned to sell this strategic mineral.

The commission probing so-called state capture heard last week that the Guptas planned to become the sole supplier of uranium to the South African government for the nuclear power station they were pressing it to buy.

Shaik and the former head of the National Intelligence  Agency Gibson Njenje now say they wish to testify before this commission headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond  Zondo.

Shaik says he approached Zuma several times to tell him about the danger posed to state security by the Guptas.

Zuma told Shaik the Guptas were the only people prepared to help his son who became a rand billionaire through his connection with the Indian family.

In May 2016 Shaik and Njenje signed a call by 27 top public servants calling for an independent inquiry into state capture. 

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