Gordhan vs Malema
THERE is a saying: “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” In South Africa’s bruising political landscape, that saying could not be further from the truth.
We are witnessing a clash of the titans between potentially three political giants while the country is gripped in an economic crisis.
The EFF has accused Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Public Enterprises, of corruption. The party believes his daughter, Anisha Gordhan, allegedly benefited from government tenders during his time as minister of finance.
The EFF’s Commander in Chief, Julius Malema, and his lieutenant, Floyd Shivambu, stand accused of being part of the looting that collapsed VBS Mutual Bank, a black-owned financial services institution designed to cater to the needs of the rural poor.
Gordhan and the EFF’s bitter battle is exacerbating the country’s economic woes. On the face of it, President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to be caught in the crossfire.
Considering the political mudslinging, it’s perplexing why Ramaphosa has not condemned the EFF or thrown his weight behind Gordhan, a minister and MP he fought to be re-appointed.
Gordhan has been a staunch ally of Ramaphosa, to whom he owes, in part, his political longevity.
Surprisingly, Ramaphosa has steered clear from the fallout with Jackson Mthembu, the ANC’s parliamentary chief whip, coming to Gordhan’s defence. Mthembu asked on Thursday why the ANC has not come out in defence of Gordhan who now appears to be increasingly isolated within his own party.
Would it be far-fetched in wondering if the EFF has some sort of hold over Ramaphosa as Gordhan’s supporters believe Ramaphosa is scared of the EFF?
Only time will tell what the overall implications of the Gordhan versus the EFF feud will be for all parties involved. Ordinary citizens are fed-up with corruption, cronyism, politicians’ family members benefiting from government contracts, or fake revolutionaries who enrich themselves under the guise of fighting for the people.
The long-standing feud between the EFF and Gordhan can be traced back to the days of former president Jacob Zuma’s administration in 2011 when Limpopo, on the brink of financial collapse, was placed under administration when Gordhan was serving as finance minister. One of the provincial departments placed under administration was Roads and Transport where Pinky Kekana, a staunch ally of Malema and deputy minister