Gordhan takes fight to Moyane
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has emerged as the Presidency’s most pivotal witness against suspended SARS commissioner Tom Moyane – and Moyane’s lawyers aren’t happy about it.
After a series of missed deadlines, the Presidency yesterday filed a 69-page affidavit by Gordhan, in which he sought to outline the four misconduct charges against Moyane.
He stressed that as the former finance minister he has “personal knowledge of the facts relevant to this matter up until March 30 2017”.
“Furthermore, the documents and correspondence relevant to this matter were within my custody and control during that time,” he says in the affidavit.
But Moyane’s lawyers aren’t convinced, and have questioned why Gordhan, who they say has had “a well-documented history of conflict” with the former tax boss, is now making the Presidency’s case for his removal.
“The crisp issue that needs to be determined by this misconduct inquiry is whether President [Cyril] Ramaphosa had a basis to lose confidence in Mr Moyane. So it’s inexplicable to us that Minister Gordhan is the person who deposed an affidavit on behalf of the Presidency,” Moyane’s attorney Eric Mabuza said.
Gordhan and Moyane had a difficult relationship while Gordhan was serving as finance minister.
Gordhan had reportedly warned Moyane that approving his own performance bonus was “unethical, immoral and illegal”.
Moyane has made it clear he wanted Ramaphosa to testify against him, and has rejected any suggestion that this inquiry can be determined solely on documentary evidence. He’s also strongly suggested that he will go to court if the inquiry was not referred to oral evidence by its chair, Advocate Azar Bham.
In the affidavit he filed yesterday, Gordhan details the four misconduct charges against Moyane:
Gross mishandling of the corruption allegations
● against his former second-incommand Jonas Makwakwa, which included conducting a sham investigation into those allegations;
• His alleged dishonesty to parliament;
• Unauthorised bonus payments; and
• Interference in the SARS rogue unit investigation.
Moyane maintains he is innocent of these charges, and will plead not guilty.
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