THE SOUTH AFRICAN Communist Party hit out at “state capture” by the wealthy Gupta family yesterday, putting itself at odds with trade unions and the ANC.

The SACP’s central committee endorsed comments made by second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila last week criticising the decision to abandon a probe into allegations of undue influence by the Guptas over government.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe dropped the investigation after only one person was willing to make a submission. But the Communist Party’s post-committee statement said the ANC was “misguided” to “dismiss concern about corporate capture as if it were just a marginal issue.”