EFF welcomes court ruling against Pravin Gordhan on Sars intelligence report

The EFF has welcomed a decision by the Equality Court to dismiss a bid by public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan's to have a report by the inspector-general of intelligence (IGI) removed from his court battle against red berets leader Julius Malema.

The classified report dealt with an alleged "rogue unit" at the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

The party said in a statement that the court's decision meant that the IGI report on the "rogue unit" remained part of the court record and was public.

The report was attached to court papers by the EFF in its response to a hate speech complaint laid by Gordhan. Gordhan lodged the complaint in response to statements made by Malema outside the state capture commission in November 2018.

Gordhan said Malema's statements were intended to be hurtful, incite harm, promote hatred, and thus constituted hate speech, as contemplated by the Equality Act.

"We welcome the opportunity given by this judgment for the IGI rogue unit report to be deliberated in the open public court," the EFF said.

The party said the public protector and the IGI had both found that Gordhan "ran an illegal intelligence unit within Sars" and both determined he must be prosecuted.

"Today's judgment is a victory of accountability against an individual who feels above the law," the party said.

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