Pretoria: New South African president Cyril Ramaphosa will reduce the number of ministers in his cabinet and fire several ministers who are under-performing and are linked to the Guptas, reports Sunday Times. Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan has been tipped to head the public enterprises ministry. Former president Jacob Zuma axed Gordhan in a controversial midnight Cabinet reshuffle at the end of March 2017, and the former finance minister has become a vocal critic of state entities implicated in corruption.
Gordhan, who was elected a member of parliament for the ruling African National Congress in 1994, remains in the legislature. Prior to being appointed finance minister in 2009, he was head of the South African Revenue Service. “If there’s anyone who can clean up our state-owned enterprises it is Comrade Gordhan. He cleaned up SARS when he arrived in 1999 – he found a badly run revenue service … and turned it into one of the most competent public entities in the 10 years he spent there,” an ANC NEC member said.
“Pravin Gordhan has a very successful track record in management of the public service. The skill that he has acquired through his years of managerial experience will be the basis of rich learning for the University and its students,” Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib said.
Atul Gupta challenges asset freeze
Amidst reports that one of the Gupta Brothers has been arrested by the police for corrupt links to Zuma, Atul Gupta has challenged a court order freezing 10 million rand ($859,025) in his bank account. South African prosecutors were authorised to freeze 220 million rand, including 10 million which they said was illegally transferred to Atul Gupta’s bank account, as part of an investigation into fraud at a state-backed dairy project in the Free State province.
The three Gupta brothers, accused by the public anti-graft watchdog of using their friendship with Zuma to influence policy and amass wealth, have denied any wrongdoing, as has Zuma. In the court papers filed in a court in the Free State province, Atul Gupta denied having received 10 million rand as alleged by prosecutors and said he was “currently outside South Africa”. The affidavit attached to the court papers was signed on February 8 in Dubai.
Meanwhile, police have raided Gupta family's home in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. The police also raided other properties in Johannesburg linked to the family and their associates. However, Ahmed Gani‚ the embattled Gupta brothers' lawyer‚ insisted that his clients had not been arrested.
Zuma forced to resign
Earlier, Zuma resigned as the president as the ruling ANC party finally turned against him after nine years of corruption scandals, economic slowdown and falling popularity. Zuma railed against the African National Congress (ANC) for "recalling" him from office and threatening to oust him via a parliament no-confidence vote. In a 30-minute national television address, Zuma said he had "come to the decision to resign as president of the republic with immediate effect." Zuma has been in a power struggle with businessman Cyril Ramaphosa, the deputy president who now became the president. Ramaphosa, who won control of the ANC when he was elected as its head in December, sworn in as the new president on Thursday last.
