Cape Town - The Gupta brothers will not be appearing before the Eskom Inquiry on Tuesday, according to its chair Zukiswa Rantho. 

The committee had planned to hear testimony from Gupta brothers Atul and Ajay, as well as Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and former South African Airways board chair Dudu Myeni on Tuesday. 

But Rantho told Fin24 that she received a letter via the inquiry's committee secretary from the Guptas' lawyers, to say their clients will not appear because they are not in the country.

She received the letter on Monday afternoon. 

Rantho said Myeni also sent a letter indicating she would not appear due to ill health. Myeni has dodged the inquiry a few times before.

When asked if the inquiry would wrap up on Tuesday, Rantho said she hoped so.

The committee will table a report before Parliament soon after that, she said. 

At the inquiry last Wednesday, committee members discussed the urgency of concluding the inquiry before the end of the month and considered hearing from the remaining witnesses all on one day.

However, committee members were concerned that the Gupta brothers would not appear and considered having their lawyers, or business associates Eric Wood and Salim Essa, appear at the inquiry. 

The inquiry had eight months to do its work and a report of the findings was to be submitted to Parliament in March 2018.

Committee members last week agreed that the inquiry should wrap up by the end of the month. 

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gupta family  |  state capture  |  eskom inquiry
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