The Congress of the People (COPE) on Monday appeared to accuse President Jacob Zuma and the ruling party of using “continuous media leaks…to infuriate” Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan “to the point that he resigns”.
This came a day after the Presidency dismissed a report about the imminent arrest of Gordhan as the “work of dangerous information peddlers who wish to cause confusion and mayhem in the country”.
The Sunday Times reported that the Hawks wanted him to be prosecuted for “espionage” in a case related to the activities of the South African Revenue Service “rogue unit” established while he was the tax agency’s commissioner.
“If Pravin Gordhan has to answer a case let him do so in a dignified manner within the strict confines of the law‚” said Cope’s Dennis Bloem.
“However‚ to continuously to dangle the sword of Damocles over Gordhan’s head‚ through continuous media leaks‚ reveals only one purpose: intimidation. By continuously harassing Gordhan‚ Zuma must be hoping to infuriate him to the point that he resigns.”
Bloem noted that Cope had laid “a charge of corruption and treason against Zuma and the Guptas‚ (but) we have heard not a single word from the police”.
“Yet we hear so much of something where no formal charge exists‚” he added.
“Will the police investigate the charges we laid or will they be politically inclined and drag their feet on the matter? That is a question we need to ask.”
Bloem said the “conspiracy” against Gordhan was “because of his no-nonsense approach to managing the national treasury and in particular his unwillingness to spend what he does not have”.
COPE: ‘Zuma wants to infuriate Gordhan into resigning’
This came a day after the Presidency dismissed a report about the imminent arrest of Gordhan as the “work of dangerous information peddlers who wish to cause confusion and mayhem in the country”.
The Sunday Times reported that the Hawks wanted him to be prosecuted for “espionage” in a case related to the activities of the South African Revenue Service “rogue unit” established while he was the tax agency’s commissioner.
“If Pravin Gordhan has to answer a case let him do so in a dignified manner within the strict confines of the law‚” said Cope’s Dennis Bloem.
“However‚ to continuously to dangle the sword of Damocles over Gordhan’s head‚ through continuous media leaks‚ reveals only one purpose: intimidation. By continuously harassing Gordhan‚ Zuma must be hoping to infuriate him to the point that he resigns.”
Bloem noted that Cope had laid “a charge of corruption and treason against Zuma and the Guptas‚ (but) we have heard not a single word from the police”.
“Yet we hear so much of something where no formal charge exists‚” he added.
“Will the police investigate the charges we laid or will they be politically inclined and drag their feet on the matter? That is a question we need to ask.”
Bloem said the “conspiracy” against Gordhan was “because of his no-nonsense approach to managing the national treasury and in particular his unwillingness to spend what he does not have”.
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