DA seeks judicial review on Pravin

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has been asked to produce the evidence he relied on to sack Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas last week.

This is contained in the court papers, filed by the DA yesterday in the Western Cape High Court.

The party is seeking a judicial review on the axing of Gordhan. DA federal executive committee chairperson James Selfe said in the court papers that Zuma had overstepped the line in the manner in which he had fired Gordhan.

“…it is a requirement of our law that a decision must be rationally related to the purpose for which the power was conferred,” Selfe said.

He said the decision by Zuma must be overturned by the court. “In doing so, I emphasise this application is brought in terms of Rule 53 of this court’s rules. That means the president is required to file both the reasons for his dismissal decisions and the record of his dismissal decisions – that is all documents which were before him when he made his decisions.”

Selfe said there had been a huge public outcry over Gordhan’s axing. This also came from within the ANC and the alliance partners. The SACP called for Zuma to go at the weekend. The call was followed by Cosatu after its president S’dumo Dlamini, said Zuma had called him to meet over the matter.

Selfe said Zuma’s decision in December 2015 to fire then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene had disastrous consequences. The same has happened after S&P’s downgrade on Monday.

Zuma’s spokesperson, Bongani Ngqulunga, could not be reached for comment.