Pretoria - Pravin Gordhan confirmed that he is still Minister of Finance, despite rumours that he had resigned.
“You should not believe rumours. Rumours are rumours,” Gordhan told a group of reporters on Tuesday afternoon after he attended his court application for a few minutes.
Making his way out of court, Gordhan did not want to answer questions as to why he was recalled from London. “I have not been told yet. Ask the presidency,” he responded to questions in this regard.
Gordhan confirmed that he was earlier on Tuesday called to Luthuli House, but he also refused to divulge what was discussed.
"I was there to have discussions and we had discussions,” he said.
His advocate Jeremy Gauntlett meanwhile concluded his arguments on behalf of Gordhan in less than an hour. Gauntlett said while it is conceded by the respondents that the minister cannot interfere with the decision of the country’s four major banks not to do business with the Gupta family, it was still necessary for the court to issue a declaratory order in this regard.
“No harm can come of this. Only good,” Gauntlett said. He said such an order would then be binding on certain parties.
The banks will meanwhile present their legal arguments on Wednesday.