Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan
The office of the ANC chief whip confirmed on Thursday that former deputy finance minister and ANC MP Mcebisi Jonas has resigned his seat in Parliament.
Jonas’s resignation was effective from 31 March 2017.
“Comrade Jonas has served both as deputy minister and MP with absolute distinction and dedication,” the office of the ANC chief whip said.
Jonas’s resignation comes a week after he was axed as deputy minister of finance in a Cabinet reshuffle that sparked widespread outrage against President Jacob Zuma. The former deputy finance minister served as the right hand to Pravin Gordhan, who was also fired from his position as finance minister.
Jonas has united with Gordhan in calling for South Africans to take action against corruption in government. He told South Africans to “connect the dots” and “organise”.
While Gordhan has said he will remain an ANC MP, Jonas’s resignation became effective the day that Zuma announced the midnight reshuffle.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu criticised the removal of Jonas and Gordhan from Cabinet, saying he “disagreed” with it. His criticism came after Zuma reasoned the dismissal of the two Treasury officials with a dubious “intelligence report” that stated Gordhan and Jonas were plotting to destabilise the government.
The ANC’s national working committee has since said that a “breakdown” in the relationship between Gordhan and Zuma led to the former finance minister’s dismissal. No reason has been given yet for Jonas’ removal from the ministry.