STATEMENT BY GILDENHUYS MALATJI ON BEHALF OF MINISTER PRAVIN GORDHAN.

The National Director of Public Prosecutions (“NDPP”), Adv Shaun Abrahams, advised the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services on 12 October 2016 that Minister Pravin Gordhan is welcome to approach him to make representations regarding the charges that have been preferred against him.

Minister Gordhan has taken legal advice on the matter and decided not to make representations to the NDPP. The main reason for his decision is that he does not have any confidence in the NDPP’s ability or willingness to afford him a fair hearing.

First, we repeatedly asked the NPA to afford the Minister an opportunity to make representations to them before they decided whether to prosecute the Minister but they spurned our requests.

Second, the NDPP’s conduct at his press conference announcing the decision to charge the Minister made clear his commitment to the prosecution.

Third, having now had an opportunity to study the charges against the Minister, it is also clear to us that they manifest a resolute and not well founded determination to prosecute the Minister at all costs. Any representations to the NDPP would accordingly be pointless.

Minister Pravin Gordhan continues to take legal counsel in regard to ways and means to bring the matter to an expedited finality. We are assisted in this regard by a team of eminent counsel consisting of Adv. Wim Trengove SC, Adv. Hamilton Maenetje SC and Adv. Ziyaad Navsa.

Statement issued by Mr Tebogo Malatji, Gildenhuys Malatji Inc, 14 October 2016