Shivambu: Gordhan is no ‘angel’, he fundraised Zuma’s re-election campaign

Talking outside the commission of inquiry into state capture, EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu continued the party’s war against the minister of public enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, who was giving testimony inside.

“Thank you to all the ground forces who have come out to picket against the corrupt minister,” Shivambu told his supporters.

“We know Pravin owns the media, particularly Tiso Blackstar. The likes of Sunday Times and Financial Mail are just his newsletters.”

This echoes the EFF’s claims in a strongly worded statement released after a leaked affidavit Gordhan submitted to the Zondo commission detailed some of his meetings with the Guptas.

READ MORE: Journalist slammed as ‘state capture crony’ at launch of anti-corruption book

The party said that Tiso Blackstar, the media conglomerate BusinessLive is owned by, are Gordhan’s “propagandists” who were allegedly seeking to drive a narrative absolving Gordhan of what they claim was his complicity in state capture.

“We came here to say Pravin will go, just like Nene and Zuma are gone,” Shivambu said. The party has been campaigning for Gordhan’s removal since his affidavit was leaked.

The EFF deputy then made a series of allegations about Gordhan, including that “his daughter Alicia Gordhan has eight companies and all of them have received government tenders”.

READ MORE: Shivambu says Gordhan lied to parliament about meeting Guptas

He also said Gordhan “was the biggest fundraiser for Jacob Zuma to win the presidency in Mangaung [in 2012]”.

“And now he is acting like he is an angel.

“We have since asked him questions and it has been two weeks and he has not responded. He met with the Guptas in 2010 and now he claims to have forgotten. We have since reported him to the public protector.

EFF Members picketing outside the #StateCaptureInquiry pic.twitter.com/lcEu5f0Bzw

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 19, 2018

“In 2009, Pravin was nothing. He created a rogue unit and, through it, he had spy tapes to bargain with Jacob Zuma and say he will not expose him.”

In a rambling, paranoid blog post, Shivambu made some of the same allegations about Gordhan.

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

The blog reads: “In the build-up to the ANC 53^rdNational Conference in Mangaung, one of the central strategists for Zuma’s re-election as president of the ANC was Pravin. In a typical Cabal fashion, he was amongst the voices that called for the extinction of the ANC Youth League, and what he imagined were sources of funds for the ANC Youth League leadership and the anti-Zuma faction. Gordhan was willing to do everything in his power in defence of Jacob Zuma and to guarantee his re-election in Mangaung 2012 elective conference.”

“Bathule nje baz’iqiniso, yimbi lendawo, siyay’saba lendawo.” 🎶 pic.twitter.com/Ye0zEVjmSh

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 19, 2018

He also included a whole section on the “rogue unit”, a narrative that has been largely discredited.

Reports in the Sunday Times regarding the “rogue unit” were found to be “inaccurate, misleading, and unfair” by the press ombudsman and the newspaper was forced to apologise.

In 2015, the press ombudsman ruled that the Sunday Times must retract all stories on the “rogue unit saga” and to apologise to Gordhan as well as others implicated after Gordhan, former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay, and former Sars executive Johann van Loggerenberg lodged complaints.

Shivambu: Pravin Gordhan was the biggest fundraiser for Jacob Zuma to win Presidency in Mangaung. And now he is acting like he is an angel.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 19, 2018

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.