After years of wrangling
President Jacob Zuma will not be explaining the reasons behind his controversial Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, because his legal team is still to apply for leave to appeal the decision made by the Pretoria high court.
Lawyers representing the Democratic Alliance confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that Zuma’s team have not yet filed for leave to appeal the high court’s decision. The DA filled an application for the court to compel Zuma to explain the reshuffle which led to widespread public outrage after former finance minister Pravin Gordhan was fired.
DA MP James Selfe said that the application for leave to appeal was meant to be heard on Monday, but was postponed to either Thursday or Friday due to a bereavement in their legal team.
He did not have further details, but said the bereavement was not on the side of DA’s legal team.
The opposition party succeeded in an application to get the president’s record of decision to reshuffle the Cabinet late on March 30.
The reshuffle ousted Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas as minister and deputy minister of finance, among other changes.
Judge Basheer Vally granted the DA’s request to get the record of decision, but the presidency has countered with an unusual request to the DA – that it provide the so-called “Intelligence Report” that apparently sparked Zuma’s actions.
This report apparently led to Zuma instructing Gordhan to return abruptly from an investor roadshow in London.
Comment was not immediately available from the presidency.