Supporting Gordhan
THE stand-off between Pravin Gordhan and those who would like to see the back of him has ignited a movement for change in support not only of the embattled finance minister, but also South Africa’s fragile democracy.
Since being charged with fraud, Gordhan has received overwhelming support among active citizenry groups around the country and on social media platforms.
South Africans have come out guns blazing and are encouraging fellow citizens who believe in justice and democracy to attend a protest in support of Gordhan at his court appearance in Gauteng on November 2.
Gordhan, who has been described as “the salt of the earth” for his activism during apartheid, is expected to stand his ground against the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Gordhan, Ivan Pillay and former Sars commissioner Oupa Magashula, have been summoned to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on November 2 by the NPA to respond to allegations about Pillay’s early retirement being approved and then him being rehired on contract.
In Durban on Sunday, members of the Active Citizens Movement, comprising veteran activists, met, and plans are now afoot to hold a similar demonstration at the Durban City Hall.
A meeting was also held by the Interim Active Citizens Movement in Pietermaritzburg on Monday where they decided to hold a peaceful placard demonstration outside the magistrate’s court.
Professor Yousuf Vawda of the Active Citizens Movement in Durban said their aim was to get people involved in community activities and to ensure accountability of people elected in government.
“Although we are a civic grouping, and not a political grouping, our objective for this meeting was to see how we could show solidarity with the people charged.”
Vawda, who has a legal background, believes the charges against the three were “trumped up”. “They are trying to get at the minister and the other officials, through the courts, to achieve a political objective.”
This, said Vawda, was to get Gordhan to resign, be fired, or suspended after he and President Jacob Zuma clashed over the control of the country’s finances.
In an affidavit filed in court on Friday, Gordhan alleged that the influential Gupta family, with whom Zuma has close ties, was seeking to manipulate the banking and financial sectors.
Ashok Chandika, convener of Merebank Justice Network, who attended Sunday’s meeting, described the charges against the trio as “uncalled for”.
“We are demanding good governance prevail and for Chapter 9 institutions to be impartial.”
In September, the network held a fund-raising dinner to help with the legal costs of former Sars officials. About R100 000 has been deposited into a trust fund. Chandika said they are now looking at holding a business breakfast fund-raiser and crowd-funding initiatives.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, an internationally-recognised scientist and academic who attended the meeting, said Gordhan had taken a firm stance against looting of state funds.
“He has drawn a line in the sand against corruption and we must support him in this important cause,” said Karim, adding that the charges had “no prospect of success”.
Karim said the finance minister was charged in an attempt to prevent him from stopping corruption involving state resources.
Anshu Padayachee, a gender and rights activist, said: “We support (Gordhan) because of his ethical leadership. At the 1993 Cosatu Conference, Nelson Mandela had said: ‘If the ANC does to you what the apartheid government did to you, then you must do to the ANC what you did to the apartheid government.’ Pravin is tackling corruption and we are under the leadership of the ANC, and so we must tackle government on the issue of corruption.”
Cas Coovadia, Johannesburg civic activist, said Gordhan represented the values of many South Africans. “He has played a tremendous role in improving the economy and preventing a ratings downgrade. All of this has been done with national interests at the top. We must support Pravin and National Treasury and do away with corruption.”
Babu Baijoo, a convenor of the Interim Active Citizen Movement in Pietermaritzburg, said: “I support Pravin fully. He is trying to achieve good, clean governance, maintain the integrity of the constitution and espouse the values of the Freedom Charter.
“The charges against him are frivolous. Many teachers took early retirement in the 1990s and there was nothing illegal about it. Sars’ legal team motived for Ivan’s early retirement and it was legal to do it and the commissioner agreed.”
Baijoo said the local movement would meet again on Thursday at 6.30pm with the broader society at Nizamia School, Masukwane.
An internal Sars memorandum, attached to a letter threatening the NPA with legal action over the charges has revealed that the revenue services’ legal division had okayed the retirement and Pillay’s subsequent rehiring more than 18 months before Gordhan approved it.
The memorandum, dated March 17, 2009, reportedly stated that “no technicality prevents Sars from appointing Pillay on a contract after his retirement (from the Government Employees’ Pension Fund).
The memorandum was annexed to a letter to the national director of public prosecutions, Shaun Abrahams, by lawyers representing NGOs Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation. They are demanding the “baseless charges” be withdrawn.
In the letter, it was indicated that more than 3 000 other government employees took early retirement with full benefits between 2005 and 2010.
Sunny Singh, an apartheid activist who spent 10 years in prison, said he knew Gordhan from the 1970s and he was a symbol of integrity, commitment and loyalty to the nation.
“He is the salt of the earth and is building and keeping up the ideals of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada.”
Singh said many political commentators had said charging Gordhan was a diversion by certain political forces away from the real issues “and I agree with this”.
“Using my common sense, I can see people are trying to get him out of National Treasury to put their own people inside. They want to get rid of good people. This is nothing new in history. We have seen it from time immemorial. Pravin is seen as a threat because he has unshaken principles.”
Singh said he had spoken to Gordhan over a week ago and he “will stand his ground”.
“Pravin was deep in the struggle. He was arrested, tortured and he didn’t break down to the regime (apartheid) forces. It is sad and tragic that in a democracy, our own people are hounding him.”
Singh added that Gordhan was setting the moral standard in the country “and we must give him support on November 2”.
He said he was pleased opposition party leaders Julius Malema of the EFF and Mmusi Maimane of the DA, have shown their support.
Malema has advised businesses to shut down on November 2.
He reportedly said the decision to charge Gordhan was “a concoction” and could not be in the public interest, while Maimane said there was evidence of political interference in the NPA.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu described Gordhan as “an honest man” and a disciplined cadre of the movement.
“We will be with him, some of us, throughout the process.”
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said he lent his support to Gordhan.
Closer to home, KZN Human Settlements and Public Works MEC Ravi Pillay, while addressing an event to mark the centenary celebrations of the Shree Veeraboga Temple on Sunday, referred to the minister as a South African hero, and Pillay as a cadre of outstanding calibre.
“I have absolutely no doubt about their honesty, their integrity and their commitment to building a national democratic society that we all seek to leave our children and grandchildren.”
Meanwhile, social media was abuzz with many voicing their concerns over the charge.
Among the Facebook groups supporting Gordhan are: Support for Pravin Gordhan and a Better South Africa (22 500 likes), Hands Off Pravin Gordhan (54 000) and Pravin Gordhan – We Support You (15 490).
Film-maker and former journalist David Forbes, administrator of the Facebook page Hands Off Pravin Gordhan, said the number of ‘likes’ had increased tremendously after Gordhan was charged.
“I started this page in February and before Gordhan was charged, we had about 32 000 likes and this number just shot up in a matter of days. It has reached about 2.5 million people,” said Forbes.
“This tells me that people are extremely concerned about the politics of the country, the state of the economy, corruption and the lack of leadership. I, like many others, love this country and Africa.
“I am deeply rooted here. I lived in Australia for three years, but returned when Nelson Mandela was freed, and knew I would no longer be silent when things are unjust.
“That is why I started this page and others… including Hands Off the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.”
Forbes believed that instead of the NPA being an independent institution, it had been “captured”, and said the country was in a “dangerous space”.