Gordhan wants to know... Who do the Hawks serve? Who gives them orders? What is their purpose?
PRAVIN GORDHAN tried to play it cool when he said he was
to face fraud charges.
But his fury at the Hawks was thinly disguised.
WHO ARE THEY SERVING? WHERE DO THEIR ORDERS COME FROM?
HE ASKED.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan questioned the motives behind the
decision as the National Prosecuting Authority dropped the bombshell
yesterday.
Gordhan was addressing a function at Gallagher Estate in Midrand,
only a few kilometres away from where NPA head, Advocate Shaun Abrahams
announced that Gordhan had been summonsed to appear in court. The announcement sent shock waves through politics and sent the
rand into free fall. The JSE lost at least R50 billion. Abrahams told journalists that Gordhan was to appear in court on 2
November for fraud. The charge relates to Gordhan approving the early retirement
pension payout of former deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay. There were reports that Gordhan might still be charged for his
alleged role in the so-called SARS rogue unit. Abrahams denied that the decision to charge Gordhan was politically
influenced, but addressing the Gallagher event, Gordhan hinted at this. He also questioned the timing of the decision to charge him. He is
due to table his midterm budget in parliament in two weeks time. “If you
remember, the last time it was just before and after the February budget.
There’s something attractive about budgets,” he said. Gordhan said he would go to the police station to have his
fingerprints taken and will appear in court. “Who chose these times to do these
things?” he asked. “This is a moment when South Africans should really ask themselves:
who are the Hawks serving? Where do they get their political instructions from
and for what purpose?” He said a police officer went to his home looking for him to serve
the summons. The officer later went to the Treasury offices even though he could
have gone to Gordhan’s lawyers. “We have just come back from an international tour telling
investors we are fine, to invest in South Africa, don’t put us into junk,” he
said. The decision has triggered responses from both political and civil
society. The ANC said it hoped this will finally bring the matter to a close
as the investigation had a detrimental effect on the South African
economy. “We trust that today’s announcement will move us a step closer to
uncovering the truth,” it said , urging Gordhan to co-operate. But the ANC’s alliance partner, the SACP said this was just a
pretext to weaken the National Treasury’s struggle led by Gordhan against
corruption and corporate capture. On Twitter, EFF leader Julius Malema labelled the move a Zuma
fightback because of evidence presented to the Public Protector on state
capture. Malema tweeted: “We support Pravin and not criminals. On 2 November
all those who love our country and its constitution must occupy the streets of
Pretoria to support our democracy.” Business Unity SA said the timing was most
unfortunate. |