Political Bureau
THE spat involving the Finance minister and the country’s criminal investigation agencies has now drawn in the ANC-led ruling alliance.
The ANC’s leftist ally, the SACP, has come out in defence of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, accusing the elite crime-fighting Hawks unit of pursuing a political agenda to “isolate and target” Gordhan because of his stance against the looting of public resources.
In a statement yesterday, the SACP went further, lashing out at Berning Ntlemeza, the man in charge of the Hawks.
“The conduct of the Hawks under Ntlemeza’s stewardship is increasingly leaving much to be desired, and indeed reflects politically motivated, factional and private agendas,” SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said.
“Cloning such agendas as if they were the law taking its course, and therefore abusing state power to pursue them, is completely unacceptable.”
While affirming its position that anyone should be investigated without fear or favour, the SACP said the Hawks investigation of Gordhan smacks of apartheid-era tactics of “factionally isolating and targeting some of the leaders of our revolution and other members of our society”.
The fracas is the result of sensational weekend reports that Gordhan’s arrest was imminent, after the Hawks had decided to pursue charges of “espionage” against him and eight others. The charges emanate from his time as commissioner of the SA Revenue Service, where, the Hawks allege, he operated an illegal “spy unit”.
Meanwhile, the ANC has given its backing to Gordhan, but cautioned all parties involved to avoid any more unseemly public spats.
ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said yesterday the party believed the story of Gordhan’s arrest was “planted” to create a perception of instability ahead of the visit of rating agencies this week.
Earlier Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi reacted to a statement on Tuesday night by Gordhan in which he said that agencies of the state had an agenda to harass and intimidate him.
“We are not going to even engage in politics, that’s a political statement,” Mulaudzi said. “At the same time, any investigation that is being undertaken, we have taken a decision that we won’t do that through the media.
“Even ourselves, we were shocked with the report and we have come out clearly to say we are distancing ourselves from that report.
“There were media enquiries and we came out clearly that we are not going to engage this matter in the public space. But also we put it on record that such irresponsible reporting, we don’t want to associate ourselves with it.
“It’s public knowledge that there were questions sent to him (Gordhan), at the same time we said it’s not an investigation against the minister. They were clarity-seeking questions, that’s all.”
Mulaudzi said the docket related to the so-called rogue unit and that the national director of public prosecutions had confirmed there was a docket, “but he never said anything about him being arrested”.
“We don’t know where this arrest is coming from.”
In the statement issued on Tuesday, Gordhan expressed shock at reports of his imminent arrest, saying it had been distressing.
“I cannot believe that I am being investigated and could possibly be charged for something I am completely innocent of. I have answered the questions submitted by the Hawks, and have not heard from them.”
– With African News Agency