‘Pravin to blame for my troubles’
Zuma’s son accuses Gordhan for the closure of his bank accounts Duduzane says he’s selling his shares in Gupta companies to clear his name
Another of President Jacob Zuma’s sons has accused former finance minister Pravin Gordhan of destroying his businesses.
Duduzane Zuma, who has shares in Gupta-owned companies, yesterday blamed Gordhan for the country’s poor economic performance, high unemployment rate and for the closure of the bank accounts of Gupta companies.
In an open letter, Duduzane described Gordhan “as a conspiracy theorist who failed as a minister of this country”, and accused him of grandstanding in parliament to embarrass the country.
The attack came days after Zuma’s other son, Edward, heckled Gordhan at a Mahatma Gandhi memorial lecture in Pietermaritzburg last week.
Duduzane wrote: “Mr Gordhan, you were finance minister of this country for over six of the last eight years. Yet [you] take no responsibility for this country’s economic performance in that time. It is always somebody else’s fault.”
He accused Gordhan of using state bodies such as the Reserve Bank and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (Fica) to try and destroy him and his business colleagues, with no proof of misconduct. “Yet you accuse us of state capture.”
Duduzane said it has long been rumoured that Gordhan owns shares in various large companies, especially in the financial sector.
“All of my bank accounts have been closed by your friends in the banking industry,” Duduzane wrote. “You will always protect your friends in big business over the ordinary man.” Duduzane said he was selling his shares to focus on clearing his name.
“At this point, I would advise you to refrain from further public statements which could affect the current sales and my reputation. I reserve my rights to pursue legal action for the harm you are causing.”
Yesterday, Gordhan told our sister newspaper Business Day that he would not comment but would refer the letter to his lawyers.
Civil organisation Save SA said the letter was a “bizarre attempt to deflect attention away from the increasing evidence against him and his cronies of their central role in state capture and corruption”.
“Zuma Junior should not be writing open letters at this time - he should be writing affidavits to explain why he has robbed South Africans of key assets, partnered with a criminal enterprise, and sold our sovereignty,” Save SA said.
The Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution executive secretary Lawson Naidoo said Duduzane ignored the fact that it was Zuma who appointed Gordhan as finance minister because he trusted him. –