Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has thrown down the gauntlet to his boss, taking a veiled swipe at President Jacob Zuma and accusing him and others of dereliction of duty.
He also lashed out at “greedy and selfish” leaders who brazenly looted state coffers and disregard democratic institutions, holding the country back.
Gordhan was speaking at the funeral service of Umkhonto weSizwe Struggle veteran Shirish Nanabhai at the Gandhi Hall in Lenasia, south of Joburg, on Monday.
Gordhan’s remarks will pile pressure on Zuma as the ANC top brass gather to discuss the quagmire the ruling party is in after last week’s Constitutional Court judgment.
The court’s 11 judges unanimously found that Zuma failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution over the public protector’s remedial actions on the Nkandla upgrades.
Gordhan said this was testimony to the “vibrancy and resilience of our democratic institutions, and all of us should be proud of them”.
“The constitution that we have is the embodiment of a social contract that we have with our people. Once our actions are seen to be contrary to this important document of our democracy, you must know we have moved away from our duty to serve our people. We have broken the contract,” the minister said, without mentioning Zuma by name.
He called on people to “rediscover and reclaim” the ANC’s original purpose, which was unity, non-racialism, non-sexism and prosperity for all “and not for the few”, adding: “Our democratic institutions are consistently trying to hold us back from an abyss of a dismal future for us in many ways”.
Gordhan’s strong views on the matter also hint that Zuma’s troubles have only just begun. It is Gordhan’s department that was entrusted by the court with the task of determining Zuma’s financial liability for the Nkandla upgrades.
Monday’s remarks mean it is unlikely the president will get an easy ride in this regard. The court gave Zuma 45 days to pay back the money, after the National Treasury’s determination.
Zuma has been facing growing calls from the opposition and within the ANC to step down following the Concourt’s damning judgment.
On Monday, the governing party held its extended national working committee meeting in Cape Town to look at the implications of the judgment, and Parliament was expected to discuss a motion of impeachment against the president today.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura, who addressed Nanabhai’s funeral service in his capacity as ANC provincial deputy chairman, said the party had always taken good decisions in the past.
“Many of us know when the ANC was going to consider what next to do, we knew it would act in the best interests of the people and the country. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we can say that today.”
Makhura said they would do everything in their power to rescue the ANC from itself and ensure that it “doesn’t lose touch with what South Africans feel, (because) if it does, that it will cease to be the ANC. Loyalty to our nation and loyalty to the people is more than just loyalty to the ANC itself.”
Gordhan was critical of endemic corruption that had infiltrated some sectors of society, saying: “For instance, democratic institutions and the well-being of our people are trampled upon in pursuit of self-aggrandisement. Today, it’s not enough for some to steal R1 million, you must have R10 (million), and when you have R10 (million), you must have a R100 (million).”
He said many democratic institutions were being tested. “They are also being influenced, or attempts are being made to influence them. Our task is to improve and strengthen, and not undermine and weaken our institutions,” he said.
Pravin Gordhan
Independent News
bantsijang
/ April 5, 2016https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/Bantsijang/era-of-selfish-leadership-in-south-africa-by-matthews-bantsijang
LikeLike
lastborn
/ April 5, 2016Our president has shown everybody that has got a problem or he has got love of money and he’s too cultural
LikeLike
Asaph Chuene
/ April 5, 2016ANC is finished
LikeLike
FRANK ATKINSON
/ April 6, 2016IF THIS STORY IS TRUE WHY THEN WAS PRAVIN GORDHAN LISTED AMONG
THOSE WHO VOTED AGAINST IMPEACHMENT???????
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clifford T Smith
/ April 6, 2016A South African hero!
LikeLike
peebeewritesishop
/ April 6, 2016did he vote Yes or No?
LikeLike
rico
/ May 13, 2016He voted to in office, so who is he trying to fool. They all onboard in zuma ship
LikeLike
makhaya dalingozik
/ April 6, 2016Wow ndokhe ndibone 👴
LikeLike
Raymond Gasebone
/ April 7, 2016Zuma must just do us a favour and step down his in reaching himself and his family enough is enough for us the poof of the poorest to suffer under the ruling party
LikeLike
Fuck Zuma and the ANC
/ April 7, 2016Dont be fooled. He is in Zuma’s pocket and voted for Zuma to stay. That makes him an accomplice, and a criminal. I repeat. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY PRAVIN GORDHAN OR ANY ONE OF THE MOTHER FUCKERS THAT VOTED AGAINST ZUMA’S IMPEACHMENT.
LikeLike
Johnny
/ April 7, 2016I do not think Pravin is serious in his verbal “attack” on zuma and other corrupt anc-comrades. If he voted against the impeachment of zuma, (which he certainly did) he is condoning zuma’s wrongs.
LikeLike
Ruth Kellow
/ April 8, 2016Looks like an attempt to keep damage away from the ANC (all nuts cabinet)
LikeLike
Marianne Mould
/ April 8, 2016Pravin Gordan & all the treasury are still ANC party members & as such had to vote according to ANC party lines: if they rebelled, the ANC chiefs could have demanded their resignations – would it have been worth it for Gordan & Mcebisi Jonas to be fired ? DA & EFF were never going to succeed with the impeachment anyway- they had to make the point nevertheless
LikeLike
micky
/ April 9, 2016It’s so sad to see how so few can cause so much corruption without being LOCKED UP LIE CRIMINALS THAT THEY ARE
LikeLike
J. Abrahams
/ April 10, 2016Whatever happens .I hope that these filthy politicians get there day!!
LikeLike
MABELELEB (@MABELELEB)
/ April 11, 2016Ya neh!! He already transfered R6b to Dubhai. A traditional President with adultery!!mmmm!!
LikeLike
kevin
/ May 8, 2016He knows exactly what he is doing yes , stacking our hard eearned money away cos he know real soon he is going . All those government officials protecting him know their time is. nearly up , so they draining government coffers all they can , cos they know when it’s over then they gon be fucked as well
LikeLike
nick
/ May 13, 2016Pravan just borrowed 1,25 billion US$ – did he ask you and who is going to pay it back?
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/932419/000119312516542765/d144534dex4.htm
LikeLike
Thapelo
/ May 15, 2016Whaaaaat? No explanation at all?
LikeLike
nick
/ May 15, 2016😛 Pre – election spending ?
LikeLike
Masand
/ May 15, 2016I am buying my popcorn and getting ready watch the end.
LikeLike
Rosemary Anne Reed
/ May 16, 2016hahaaaaaa look who’s talking one ust as greedy and selfish
LikeLike
s ngcece
/ May 18, 2016The headline and content dont talk to each other
LikeLike