Zuma says he supports Gordhan
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has expressed support for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his legal troubles with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
But Zuma told MPs in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday that he would not interfere with the law.
Zuma has been under pressure in recent days to intervene in the prosecution of Gordhan, but yesterday he reiterated his position that he would not be able to do so.
A few weeks ago, Zuma expressed the same sentiments, saying he respected the law and was bound by it.
He said despite calls for him to intervene in the case, he cannot do so as the law has to take its course.
Gordhan is due to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court next Wednesday on fraud charges. But Zuma, who was answering oral questions in the NCOP, said he cannot be seen to be interfering with law enforcement agencies.
No person, including the president of the country, can interfere with the work of the NPA or any agency.
Earlier, the EFF tried to block Zuma from answering oral questions in the NCOP after accusing him of a serious breach of the constitution.
This led NCOP chairperson Thandi Modise to eject the EFF MPs for disrupting proceedings of the House.
Zuma also defended his decision to interdict former public protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing her report on state capture, saying she did not give him the opportunity to present his side of the story.
He said he was exercising his right to interdict the report by the former public protector.
New Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has refused to oppose Zuma’s application in the high court to block the release of the state capture report.
Zuma said he was within his rights to contest the report in court.
“As a citizen of this country I have a legal right to exercise my right. I interdicted it because she was going to issue a report without talking to me,” he said of Madonsela.
The matter will be heard in the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Turning to Gordhan, he said they supported him fully, and this was the decision of the cabinet last week.
Gordhan is due to table his medium-term budget policy statement today.
He acknowledged the massive support Gordhan had received from business to religious leaders and civil society.
“The support is being expressed because of the belief in the rule of law and in the fact that the minister has not been found guilty of any crime,” he said.
Zuma said Gordhan remained innocent until proven otherwise.
Gordhan will appear in court a day after Zuma has faced the high court on his interdict against the release of the state capture report.
Opposition parties have joined as intervening parties in court to stop Zuma’s attempts to block the release of the report.
Zuma has been accused by opposition parties of stalling the release of the report on state capture and holding a meeting with NPA head Shaun Abrahams a day before Gordhan was charged with fraud.
Justice Minister Michael Masutha has denied the meeting with Abrahams at Luthuli House was to discuss charges against Gordhan.
Zuma reiterated this yesterday, saying other matters were discussed at the meeting.
He said at no point did he discuss charges against Gordhan with Abrahams.
“The meeting the member is referring to is a meeting between the president and the security cluster on a totally different matter,” he said.
Both Abrahams and Masutha confirmed the meeting at Luthuli House took place, but said they discussed the protests at universities.
EFF MPs refused to listen to Zuma yesterday and hurled insults at the president, saying he was not “honourable” to address the House.
Zuma also defended the decision to put state-owned enterprises in a new structure led by him, the Presidential SOE Co-ordinating Council.
On the economy, Zuma said SA has done well compared to other countries as it emerged from the global crisis of 2008.
He said some countries in the developed world were still trapped in the crisis and have not yet fully recovered.
Zuma said the government’s economic policies have been able to cushion the country out of the economic crisis.