EFF WELCOMES THE PUBLIC PROTECTOR'S REPORT ON PRAVIN GORDHAN

Friday, 24 May, 2019

The EFF welcomes the Public Protector's report, in particular on Pravin Gordhan.

The Public Protector found that Pravin Gordhan, whilst minister of Finance violated the constitution by irregularly approving the early retiremenof Ivan Pillay (his friend) with full pension benefits as if he had retired at the appropriate pension age of 65.

The Public Protector declared that Gordhan's actions were in violation of the Public Finance Management Act, the Government Employees Pension Act as well as the Public Protector's Act. In essence none of the laws he used to give Pillay early retirement empower him to do so. Most importantly, he gave Pillay full pension benefits at the expense of tax payers, thus failing to protect public funds and violated the constitution as Minister of Finance.

This is pure disregard of the constitution, abuse of power and maladministration. He now falls squarely in the line of many constitutional delinquents against whom chapter 9 institutions and our courts have found. There is no difference between him and Malusi Gigaba, Nomvula Mokonyane, and Bathabile Dlamini.

Pravin Gordhan is a constitutional delinquent who must not be reappointed into any Cabinet and who must resign from public office in general, particularly from Parliament.

No one who is willing to abuse the public office like he did, particularly at taxpayer's expense, must be allowed to come back to parliament or be in the cabinet. If Ramaphosa appoints Gordhan to his Thuma-Mina new dawn cabinet, then we know there is no difference between him and Zuma in rewarding corrupt individuals with cabinet posts.

Even if Gordhan is taking the PP's report on court review, he must do the honorable thing that David Mabuza did, and step aside.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 24 May 2019