GWEDE’S CHALLENGE TO ZUMA
Gwede urges Zuma to intervene
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has challenged President Jacob Zuma to intervene in the battle between Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Hawks which was costing the economy.
Yesterday, Mantashe came out guns blazing, saying although Gordhan was not untouchable, the Hawks investigation was being done in a manner that was humiliating him.
Mantashe chastised the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), saying it had made a “terrible mistake” by allowing Cooperative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen to tell Gordhan to present himself to the Hawks.
“It is unnatural to send 27 questions and come back further down the line and say come to the office. If you do that you are not only doing your work, you are also having an element of humiliating this minister.
“Our view is all the agencies of the state must do their work, but in a way that is decent,” he said, warning against “Hollywood style” investigation.
However, MKMVA chairman Kebby Maphatsoe remained steadfast, saying the association had spoken its views.
“There is no apology that we owe to anyone. Des van Rooyen was speaking as the association’s treasurer-general. He was not speaking there as a minister [of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs]. We stand by what we said yesterday and will not apologise.
“Apologise to who? Even the ANC is not saying Pravin must not appear before the Hawks. So, our statement and [that of the] ANC is still the same. And as an association, we have got the right to speak our views,” Maphatsoe said.
“If the ANC feels that we have done something wrong, I think they will call us. From where we are standing now, there is nothing wrong that we said and we stand by it.”
Mantashe addressed the media after the meeting of the party’s national working committee on Monday. He said the fact that ANC leaders and its structures were speaking in different voices on the Treasury and Hawks matter showed ill-discipline in the party.
Last week Zuma said that he could not intervene in Gordhan’s investigation in which he is accused of being involved in a rogue unit at the SA Revenue Services.
Former finance minister Trevor Manuel recently commented that Zuma had to intervene in the fight between Gordhan and the Hawks.
Mantashe agreed: “I agree with that calling ministers under one roof by the president is the best solution.
“That is why we will do that but ultimately we will refer whatever we discuss to the president to process, because you can only resolve conflict among ministers by calling them under one roof.”
The Gordhan/Hawks spat has become part of a proxy battle between supporters of Zuma and those of his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Monday, Van Rooyen – who served for four days as finance minister for Zuma – led the charge, saying that Gordhan was not above the law and had to present himself before the Hawks.
This view was also echoed by Mantashe’s deputy Jessie Duarte in an interview with ANN7 during which she claimed Gordhan was now part of an international campaign against the country.
Cosatu also yesterday blasted the MKMVA for what they called reckless behaviour.