National Treasury should not be at ANC’s lekgotla

26 January 2015 

The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, should never have allowed National Treasury to make a presentation on the state of the economy at the ANC’s “Lekgotla” which is taking place between 25 January 2016 and 27 January 2016 in Pretoria.

National Treasury will reportedly make a presentation on the state of the economy at the ANC’s “Lekgotla”, which is meeting to plan the party’s programme for 2016.

The Minster should have ensured that there was be a clear distinction between party and state and should never have allowed National Treasury to play any role whatsoever in assisting the ANC to plan its programme for 2016.

By allowing the presentation to proceed, the Minister allowed the distinction between party and state to collapse and risked creating the impression that National Treasury is the “plaything” of the ANC.

I will, therefore, be submitting parliamentary questions probing (1) who authorised the presentation, (2) which officials participated in the presentation and (3) what costs were incurred in making the presentation at the ANC’s “Lekgotla”.

In the end, National Treasury should serve the public interest and not the party’s interest and should never have been allowed to participate in the ANC “Lekgotla” and the planning of the party’s programme for 2016.

Issued by David Maynier, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 26 January 2016