Gordhan: Shivambu and EFF are attacking me because they have ‘something to hide’

On Monday, the EFF deputy president launched a scathing attack against Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan outside the commission of inquiry into state capture, where the minister was giving testimony.

Shivambu made several claims, most entirely uncorroborated.

Gordhan was accused, among other things, of funding Jacob Zuma’s re-election campaign at Mangaung, of creating a “rogue unit” at Sars, of owning the media, and of only having been appointed minister as he had dirt on Zuma regarding the “spy tapes”.

The EFF second-in-command’s speech either repeated or added to the list of allegations levelled against Gordhan by Shivambu and the EFF in the past; in a statement, in a bizarre blog post, and at a press conference held to address allegations that the EFF had been involved in the “looting” of VBS Bank.

READ MORE: Malema blames Gordhan, Treasury for VBS ‘witch-hunt’

Gordhan has been accused by the party of being behind the VBS allegations as “revenge” for their supposed role in getting former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene to resign, of being a “Gupta accomplice”, of running a “cabal”, and “operating a parallel state apparatus”.

Considering the many claims made against the minister, it’s surprising that he did not respond earlier. However he has now finally hit back, through his spokesperson Adrian Lackay, Business Day reports.

Lackay said Shivambu must “explain to South Africans, and in particular the people of Limpopo, when money stolen from VBS Mutual Bank will be repaid”.

“It’s time for him to disclose what other sources of income funds his own lifestyle and that of other leadership figures in the EFF.”

READ MORE: Shivambu lashes out at Gordhan in paranoid blog post

Gordhan’s spokesperson also called on Shivambu to go through the proper channels and testify before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s commission if he has evidence of misconduct by the minister.

Gordhan has not personally addressed the EFF’s attacks yet, but he did seem to talk about them indirectly while giving testimony at the commission on Monday.

“Those attacking us have something to hide, something to protect, something to distract the public with,” he said.

Both journalist Ranjeni Munusamy and radio host Gugulethu Mhlungu took to Twitter to joke that Gordhan’s testimony was a “subtweet” to his enemies, referring to the action when people on the platform insult each other indirectly, without naming or tagging them.

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