D-Day for Zuma to explain reshuffle

BY THE close of business today, South Africans could have an idea as to why President Jacob Zuma axed former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and some of his cabinet ministers.

Zuma is facing a major case against him in the North Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) today, following his dead-of-the-night cabinet reshuffle at the end of March.

It was this decision that angered a significant number of members of the ANC and its alliance partners, Cosatu and the SACP.

But the official opposition went a step further, and demanded answers from Zuma on why he decided to reshuffle his cabinet. The court will hear arguments presented by both sides.

Immediately after the cabinet reshuffle, the DA went to the High Court to seek answers from Zuma and for the court to force him to reverse the decision.

But Zuma’s problems do not end in court today. He also has to face MPs in Parliament tomorrow.

His appearance, to table his department’s budget vote, comes amid the latest e-mail revelations in the weekend papers, which indicate that the Guptas have a firm grip on how South Africa is run.

Zuma will reply to the budget vote debate on Thursday.

He is expected to receive a hostile reception from the opposition after the latest media revelations.

The EFF has promised that Zuma will never find peace when he is in Parliament to address the House or to answer questions.

Last week, two more reports implicated Zuma on charges of state capture with the Guptas. The SA Council of Churches released their report before one by a group of academics from Wits University, Stellenbosch University, and the Universities of Cape Town and Johannesburg on State capture.