As rumours fly Pravin says he still has his job
WHILE speculation was rife over Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s future‚ he confirmed yesterday afternoon he was still occupying the position.
“Are you still the Minister of Finance?” a reporter asked Gordhan at the North Gauteng High Court.
“Yes‚ I am‚” Gordhan responded‚ making his way past a media contingent outside the courtroom.
He, however‚ did not entertain further questions.
Earlier‚ Treasury spokesperson Yolisa Tyantsi told Times Live that she was unaware of rumours that Gordhan planned to resign.
“[There is] no such that I know of‚” said Tyantsi via text message‚ when asked to comment on reports of Gordhan’s imminent resignation.
This follows renewed speculation about Gordhan’s future after President Jacob Zuma on Monday recalled Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas from roadshows in London and the US‚ aimed at investors and ratings agencies‚ triggering renewed speculation of a cabinet reshuffle.
ANN7 earlier reported that Zuma had informed the ANC’s top six of plans to remove Gordhan.
Gordhan was believed to main target of a reshuffle.
The ANC’s top six spent Monday in marathon talks with the six leaders of the SA Communist Party‚ whose members have previously threatened to resign from cabinet if Zuma moves against Gordhan.
ANC stalwarts meanwhile expressed their concern at the political crisis facing the country. be the
In a statement released by the stalwarts yesterday as signatories of the “For the Sake of Our Future” document‚ they raised a number of questions about the country’s political situation.
“How can we as a nation lurch from crisis to crisis‚ and state there is no ‘crisis’; how can we have a situation when our judiciary is forced to intervene in matters that in any properly functioning constitutional democracy it would be unnecessary to do so‚ stretching from Nkandla through to Sassa?” they asked.
“How can we survive the so-called ‘Hawks’‚ whose role is ‘priority crime investigation’ but are blind to the unacceptable levels of major corruption in companies and state-owned entities within our economy; how can we have the president of the ANC who ignores its own constitution?”
The stalwarts met the leadership of the ANC to express their concern at the level of corruption and disregard of the country’s supreme law.
The group said there had been significant steps in areas such as social welfare‚ housing‚ electrification and potable water.
“But we also know that there are those with positions of power‚ who are denying our citizens a better life because of corruption‚ self-interest‚ nepotism and the ‘capture of’ or ‘gifting’ of important positions within the ANC‚ state-owned entities‚ the private sector and government.
“They are destroying the values and traditions of the ANC and the trust that the overwhelming majority of our citizens gave the ANC during the struggle against apartheid and in the early days of our short democracy‚” the statement continued.
The stalwarts comprise ANCstruggle icons such as the late Ahmed Kathrada‚ Dennis Goldberg‚ Andrew Mlangeni‚ Frank Chikane‚ Ben Turok and other former leaders of the ruling party.
“As we move closer to the 2019 elections‚ if we do not act we will see an acceleration of the looting of state resources and the positioning of those who will talk about ‘radical’ solutions‚ but in reality the only interests they will serve is their own.
“As stalwarts and veterans of the ANC, our voice will continue to be raised in the memory of those who served the liberation struggle; all that was right about that fight against apartheid and in the interests of the future of our country. We believe that the ANC can be saved from those who wish to use it as a vehicle of self-interest.” — TMG