Masutha explains NPA boss invite
JUSTICE Minister Michael Masutha does not believe he made a mistake by inviting the head of the National Prosecuting Authority to Luthuli House to discuss government business.
Despite the controversy surrounding the meeting and reports NPA boss Shaun Abrahams met with top ministers and President Jacob Zuma, Masutha denied the meeting was about charging Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
It emerged that a day after the meeting took place, Gordhan was charged with fraud relating to the approval of the early retirement of former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay.
This week, Gordhan and Zuma have key engagements in Parliament. Zuma will be answering questions in the National Council of Provinces today, while Gordhan will table his mini-budget in the National Assembly tomorrow.
Masutha confirmed yesterday he had invited Abrahams to Luthuli House as a key player in the criminal justice system to discuss the violent student protests.
While the minister would not say who had summoned Abrahams to Luthuli House for the meeting, he did say Abrahams was invited at short notice to discuss the deteriorating situation at universities.
“My contribution there was going to be the contribution of the criminal justice system,” said Masutha.
The charges against Gordhan have elicited anger within and outside the ANC.
The governing party’s chief whip, Jackson Mthembu, said the charges were politically motivated.
Retired Constitutional Court Justice Zak Yacoob had also questioned the nature of the charges, saying they won’t stick.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and several ANC ministers have also rallied around Gordhan, saying the charges were baseless.
Ramaphosa warned a week before Gordhan was charged that state institutions should not be used to pursue the finance minister.
Masutha said yesterday the discussions about Gordhan’s charges had taken place long before the meeting to which Abrahams had been invited.