EFF to join the legal battle to defend the Public Protector against Gordhan

The Economic Freedom Fighters said on Thursday it had instructed its lawyers to join in the defence of the public protector in the court application for an urgent interdict lodged by public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan.

Gordhan lodged an urgent application on Wednesday to suspend and interdict the enforcement of the remedial orders by the public protector, and also to review her report she issued last Friday.

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This follows the release of a report by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Friday on her investigation into the establishment of the South African Revenue Service’s “rogue unit”.

Mkhwebane found that the setting up of the unit, approved by Gordhan, was in violation of the constitution.

In a statement, the EFF said it was surprised that Gordhan had lodged an urgent interdict seeking to stop implementation of the public protector’s remedial action following her report on Friday.

“This is because he did not do the same with regards to the report of the PP before and its remedial actions were still never implemented by President (Cyril) Ramaphosa.”

The EFF was referring to the  report by the public protector in May relating to the early retirement and pension payout granted to former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay during Gordhan’s tenure as finance minister.

Mkhwebane ordered Ramaphosa to act against Gordhan for violating the constitution.

Gordhan announced in May that he would take that report on review.

The EFF said remedial action relating to Gordhan never seems to actually receive a positive response from the head of state.

“Nevertheless, we also cannot sense any urgency related to this matter, except Gordhan’s bloated egoism of thinking he is above the law and must always receive some special treatment from our legal system” EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.