Mantashe moved on to dismiss any narrative that the party was fighting itself from within, and said that the Hawks’ case against finance minister Pravin Gordhan was hurting the economy.
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Gordhan was summoned alongside Ivan Pillay (former Deputy Commissioner at SARS) Johan van Loggerenberg (former SARS executive), Oupa Magashula (former SARS commissioner) and Andrieas van Rensburg (former head of the investigative unit), DAILY MAVERICK reported.
The report in the City Press newspaper cited senior police sources, the tax service and the National Prosecuting Authority.
The way a special police unit known as the Hawks dealt with Gordhan was “unnatural” and humiliating, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
It noted that a stronger rand would have cushioned this increase in worldwide petroleum prices but that this is now not the case given the latest developments related to the weakening rand. Officials at the NPA reportedly did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“They called it the nuclear bomb option, something so drastic it will only be effected should Zuma try to eject SA Treasury’s respected leader, Gordhan”, said Hogg.
According to News24, Gordhan said the Hawks had a faulty legal reading of the charges against him and there was no legal basis for their investigation.
“The ANC reaffirms its unreserved confidence in the Finance Minister, Comrade Pravin Gordhan, and the work of the National Treasury”. Gordhan is known for tackling profligate spending – to the chagrin of some government officials.
In a statement, the family said “we now believe the time is right for us to exit our shareholding of the South African businesses”.
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“We find this insincere and distasteful because these ministers have many forums available at their disposal to internally discuss this matter and raise their views inside the ANC”.
