Julius Malema calls out Ramaphosa for treating Pravin Gordhan like 'a god'

EFF leader Julius Malema has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa for his alleged failure to take action against Pravin Gordhan, saying it is an insult to the constitution.

Speaking at the party's press briefing on Tuesday, Malema said the president continued to treat Gordhan "as a god". 

"Ramaphosa is continuing to treat Pravin Gordhan as a god that is not subject to the law, like all of us. Above all, like Zuma, he is not protecting the constitution by complying with the remedial action of the public protector," he said.

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TimesLIVE reported that Ramaphosa allegedly told public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane it was premature for him to take disciplinary action against public enterprises minister Gordhan.

This after Mkhwebane found that Gordhan allegedly acted unlawfully when he approved former SA Revenue Service deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay's early retirement with full pension benefits and subsequent retention at the tax collector.

Mkhwebane recommended that Ramaphosa discipline Gordhan, but in his response the president maintained that "no deadline was given as to when such 'appropriate disciplinary action' should be taken".

Malema said Ramaphosa's decision not to act on the remedial action proposed by the public protector in relation to Gordhan was a direct assault on a chapter nine institution, and the constitution itself.

"A review application does not set aside the remedial action, only a court of law can do so. The president, like all of us, is bound by the decisions of the public protector," he said.

Malema said Ramaphosa must subject Gordhan to discipline and insisted that the office of the public protector must be protected.

"The office must be protected and respected. No one can say they uphold the rule of law and the constitution and ignore the office of the public protector and its remedial action," he said.