What Malema won’t be asking of Zuma today

Who did Pravin Gordhan want “removed” after his reappointment as finance minster?

That’s a question that seemingly will neither be posed nor answered in the National Assembly on Thursday following the Economic Freedom Fighters’ announced intent not to participate in the “Zuma Q&A session”.

The party’s leader‚ Julius Malema‚ had third billing among the questions listed for oral reply by President Jacob Zuma in Parliament‚ according to an agenda released by the Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) on Wednesday night.

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Malema’s question to Zuma read: “Whether‚ upon the reappointment of Mr Gordhan as the Minister of Finance‚ he received a written or verbal communication from the Minister recommending the removal of a certain person (name and details furnished); if so‚ (a) what reasons were cited by the Minister motivating for the removal of the person and (b) why did he not remove the person?”

But‚ it won’t be asked as the EFF said it won’t participate in Thursday’s session as “Zuma should not be afforded the respect and courtesy deserving of a president because he does not respect his oath of office”.

“Zuma has stood in many Question and Answer sessions like this one and told members of Parliament lies without any consequences‚” said the party’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

“His decisions to remove finance minister Nhlanla Nene without any provocation and replace him with a sophomore like David Van Royen led to a further decline of the economy.

“We see no value in engaging a man who has no honour‚ who lies and who is a stooge of the Gupta family.”

Malema‚ however‚ did not miss the opportunity to hit out at sports minister Fikile Mbalulu following the startling admission on Wednesday evening by deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas that the Gupta family had offered him the position of minister of finance to replace Nene.

Malema took to Twitter with: “Hope @MbalulaFikile will also confirm that he was offered the sport ministry by the Guptas & unlike JOnas he accepted it and complained later.”

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Mbalula responded: “What you are saying is simply provocation. I was never offered any job by anyone. I’m not accountable to you but to ANC NEC.”

It was a repeat of a claim Malema made during the post-State of the Nation debate speech in Parliament in February.

At the time‚ Mbalula did not deny the allegation‚ but tweeted simply: “The info Julius dished today in his speech is not new ‚ is well known public record.”

Attempts to contact the EFF to establish whom Gordhan supposedly wanted removed were unsuccessful on Thursday morning.

Gordhan has been reported to be at loggerheads with the commissioner of the South African Revenue Service‚ Tom Moyane‚ which has resulted in the Presidency being moved to comment on their spat.

Scheduled ahead of Malema for Thursday’s session is Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane who a day earlier vowed that “enormous and improper influence” the Gupta family is believed to have over Zuma and the affairs of government will again feature in the National Assembly.

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Maimane - whose party‚ in the wake of Jonas’ announcement on Wednesday‚ said it will press charges members of the Gupta family and the president’s son – Duduzane - will ask the “president to explain‚ before Parliament and the people of South Africa‚ whether the Gupta family and others played a role‚ directly or indirectly‚ in the decision that sent the country’s economy into a tailspin”.

His question‚ according to the GCIS release‚ reads: “Whether he consulted any person before the (a) appointment of Mr David van Rooyen as Minister of Finance on 9 December 2015 and (b) removal of Mr van Rooyen as Minister of Finance three days later; if not‚ in each specified case‚ why not; if so‚ (i) what is the (aa) name and (bb) designation of each specified person consulted and (ii) why was each specified person consulted?”

Maimane said on Wednesday that there is a “growing body of evidence” about the Gutptas seemingly carrying weight in crucial government decisions.

“By confirming the Gupta family offered him the position of Finance Minister‚ the Deputy Minister had confirmed that he was offered “gratification” in terms of the Prevention of Corrupt Activities Act (No. 12 of 2004)‚” the DA’s David Maynier said of charges the party intends laying.