Public Enterprises minister, Pravin Gordhan, has appealed to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to investigate changes made to the committee that oversaw the controversial nuclear deal. It was his first day of giving testimony before the Commission, led by Justice Raymond Zondo.
Gordhan says Treasury objected to the drafting of an agreement on the nuclear deal.
He says he believes that changes were made to the committee, which was chaired by former President, Jacob Zuma, to prevent objections to the nuclear deal.
“The ESCS as it is now called was responsible for oversight, coordination and direction of activities for the entire energy sector. But clearly the focus was on the nuclear part of it, but my perception from the outside was that this committee was constituted in a way to ensure that a majority decision in favour of whatever proposal was put forward would not be too difficult to obtain.”
Meanwhile, political parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Black First Land First (BLF) picketed outside the venue – and called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Gordhan.
Addressing party supporters outside the venue, EFF deputy president, Floyd Shivambo said former finance minister, Gordhan was never eligible for the position. He says he was appointed to the Finance portfolio because he had some exclusive information on former President, Jacob Zuma, regarding the “Spy Tapes”.
Shivambu adds that Gordhan was a ‘nobody’ before he was appointed as Finance minister.
“Pravin Gordhan was nothing before he was appointed Finance minister – he was nothing. It’s just that he had information about Zuma and the Spy tapes – threatened him to appoint him as Minister of Finance.”
At the Commission Gordhan stated that state capture had increased joblessness, disenfranchised the youth and advanced the marginalisation of women. He says it also replaced competent and experienced individuals at the country’s key institutions.
“Once enough dots appear, and the dots themselves are clear enough, then one might have the ability or opportunity to connect those dots and then see the beginnings of a picture. I want to suggest that there are many people inside and outside of government who began to understand state capture for what it was, did offer resistance. They became victims of harassment’s and attacks of all sorts, and continued to be subjects of such attacks. Those who are attacking us have something to hide, something to protect, something to distract the public with. The question is what?”
Former SA Revenue Services Commissioner, Tom Moyane and former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Shaun Abrahams have indicated to the Commission that they intend to cross examine Gordhan.
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