Pravin Gordhan failed

Our suave and supercilious soon-to-be former public enterprises minister, Pravin Gordhan, is adamant that the prolonged negotiations, veil of secrecy and web of mystery surrounding the SAA-Takatso deal, originally signed in February 2022, are part of a normal business transaction. (“Holomisa says Gordhan has ‘something to hide’ after SAA briefing”, February 29, and “Pravin Gordhan announces retirement from politics”, March 8). He seems surprised at the concern and raised parliamentary, public and media eyebrows.

The minister and his department have oversight responsibility for more than 100 state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Most are failing miserably and many have proven or alleged instances of fraud, corruption, mismanagement and surreptitious favouring and benefiting the ANC and its friends. Most notable are the SABC, SAA, Eskom, Transnet, Denel and Prasa. Surprisingly for someone who studied to be a pharmacist, Gordhan was deemed by the ANC-led government an appropriate choice as commissioner of the SA Revenue Service, cooperative governance & traditional affairs minister, finance minister and public enterprises minister. With municipalities failing, state finances in dire straits, squabbling and conflicted traditional affairs leadership and many SOEs near collapse, Gordhan’s track record is not exactly stellar. He should not be surprised that the public and the media connected their own dots and raised serious concern about the integrity and ethics of the SAA-Takatso deal.

David Gant

Kenilworth