JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -                 Former South African president, Jacob Zuma at the ongoing corruption inquiry, Monday said he was the person who inspired the Gupta family to establish a “progressive media force” by starting The New Age newspaper and the ANN7 television station.

Zuma said he did it, because SA media were “negative” and “unfair”.

“I thought it was a very good thing that they did. There was no law broken there,” he testified before the state capture inquiry.

“The ANN7 brought a fresh air to the country,” he said, adding that these “progressive” Gupta media organizations were not defined by any form of corruption or wrongdoing.

While disclosing that he named the New Age newspaper, Zuma insists he “never did anything unlawful” with the family, who he has suggested were closer to former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela than they were to him.

The ex-president believed that the role he played in setting up the Gupta media organizations resulted in the family being targeted and their facing accusations of state capture.

The family, and its relationship with and influence over Zuma have been central to allegations of state capture.

In line with that the former government communications boss, Themba Maseko previously testified that Zuma called him prior to his meeting with Ajay Gupta over government advertising in The New Age and asked him to “help” them.

Zuma has yet to explicitly respond to those claims, but his evidence today suggests that he may not deny Maseko’s allegations.

He has also denied that the Gupta family played any part in the hiring and firing of ministers.

“Am I not capable of doing my work?” Zuma questioned, adding that he never made such decisions “alone.”

Recall CEOAfrica, earlier reported that Zuma is expected to give evidence from Monday to Friday in a hearing that will be broadcast live on South African TV.