Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
The uneasy peace between President Jacob Zuma and his Finance minister is quickly unravelling due to the aggressive stance taken by Zuma’s security chiefs.
Last night, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan hit back at claims that he was soon to be arrested by the Hawks and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) following sensational weekend reports that the Hawks had sent a docket for prosecution to the NPA.
Despite denials from the NPA and even the Presidency about the veracity of the story, rumours persist that the authorities are preparing a case against Gordhan and eight others, and that their arrests are imminent.
The charges stem from Gordhan’s time as commissioner of the SA Revenue Service (Sars).
The Hawks allege that the revenue service ran an illegal “spy unit”.
The news of the potential arrest sent the currency into a fresh tailspin when markets opened this week. However, the rand appeared to stabilise yesterday after it recovered from R15.62 to the US dollar to R15.52 at the close of business.
Gordhan also took a swipe at the Guptas for “spreading the news of his arrest” at the weekend, despite denials by the family. The Guptas denied that any family member had intimate knowledge that the Hawks would swoop on Gordhan and eight former senior officials at Sars.
Gordhan was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting of the National Treasury, Sars and the standing committee on finance yesterday.
The committee said it was not compulsory for Gordhan to be present, except when he was tabling his Budget in the National Assembly.
Gordhan said he was distressed over weekend reports that he would be arrested.
He had done everything required by the Hawks by responding to the 27 questions they had sent him.
The latest developments were part of continued harassment by the unit.
“The malicious rumours and accusations about ‘espionage’ activities are false and manufactured for other motives,” said Gordhan.
Earlier in the year, the minister said those behind his arrest did not have the interests of the country at heart.
Yesterday, he said the National Treasury was an efficient institution that wanted to deliver on its mandate.
“It is particularly painful to me, and I’m sure to many earnest democrats, to witness this unrestrained attack on honest and hard-working people and the institutions meant to strengthen our democracy.”
The Hawks and the NPA this week denied claims of Gordhan’s imminent arrest.
Zuma also entered the fray with a denial.
The opposition parties have also called on the Hawks to back off, warning that this would severely impact the economy. The economy is currently under extreme pressure and failing to create jobs.
The National Treasury, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the South African Reserve Bank have all revised South Africa’s growth to less than 1%, after an earlier projection of 1.5%.
Members of the standing committee on finance said the contracting economy was a serious cause for concern, with a series of measures required to get it off the ground.