Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. (Oupa Nkosi/M&G)
The Pretoria high court has ruled in favour of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s interdict to suspend the remedial action against him by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Gordhan applied for an urgent interdict last week to suspend the remedial action in Mkhwebane’s South African Revenue Service (Sars) so-called ‘rouge unit’ report against him, while he seeks a full judicial review.
Mkhwebane’s remedial action stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa should take steps against Gordhan within 30 days of her report. Mkhwebane also directed the National Prosecuting Authority to consider criminal charges against him.
The remedial action also included that Speaker of Parliament Thandi Modise be given 14 days to refer Gordhan to Parliament’s ethics committee to be investigated for violating the ethics code.
Mkhwebane found at the beginning of July that the establishment of the unit was illegal. Gordhan was the commissioner of Sars at the time of the unit’s work. Mkhwebane also found that Gordhan lied to Parliament by not disclosing a meeting where a member of the Gupta family was allegedly present.
Story to follow.