EFF CALLS ON CYRIL RAMAPHOSA TO REMOVE PRAVIN GORDHAN FROM CABINET AFTER ADMITTING TO ESTABLISHING SARS ROGUE UNIT

Monday, 30 November 2020

The EFF calls for the immediate removal of the unethical and big headed Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, for forming part of the establishment and existence of the SARS Rogue Unit. The Rogue Unit was established to conduct covert surveillance of citizens and turn the South African Revenue Services (SARS) into a weapon against the political opponents of Jamnandas and his allies.

At the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Pravin Gordhan conceded under cross-examination and under oath, that a unit that was initially to be under the jurisdiction of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), found place within SARS, and was designed to survey and trace activities of persons covertly.

This admission, comes after a long-drawn out campaign by Gordhan, members of the media and the allies of Gordhan namely Johan Van Loggenberg and current Commissioner of SARS Edward Kieswetter, to dismiss credible reports that indeed a mafia run unit existed within the revenue services entity, outside the realms of law and auspices of any intelligence agency and regulations.

This admission to the existence of the unit, which is now ironically rationalized by Gordhan as being necessary in 'fighting against illicit trade' and described as being product of international benchmarking across the globe, is ground-breaking and reveals that Gordhan is a man characterized by untruthfulness and thuggery.

He has managed to mobilize public sympathy to give the impression that no unit existed within SARS that conducted surveillance and illegal intelligence operations which SARS has no jurisdiction to perform. The assertions that the Rogue Unit changed in conception when it did not manifest itself in the National Intelligence Agency and was established within SARS is palpably false.

If it is true that the unit was conceptualized to serve a surveillance purpose for SARS, in partnership with the National Intelligence Agency, it was therefore constituted within SARS to serve the same purpose, otherwise its intents and purposes would have been lost. It is for this reason, along with the general dishonesty and narrative fixing by prominent media figures around the absolute dismissal of the Rogue Unit, which leads us to believe that the unlawful activities of the unit are true. It is the secrecy of Gordhan, along with his mobilization of his tools in the media for purposes of a narrative of denial that must alarm South Africans to the existence of a covert intelligence unit in the control of politicians.

The Rogue Unit has been reported by the Sikhakhane Report to have kept under surveillance individuals through the tapping of phones, placement of surveillance devices in offices of political opponents, and blackmail and extortion through the use of the tax revenue service. Most notably, Gordhan conceded to the reality, at the Commission and under oath, that the Sikhakhane Report has never been withdrawn or reviewed by any judicial institution. This is a unit he admitted to form part of establishing.

The EFF calls for the immediate removal of Pravin Jamnandas Gordhan from cabinet on charges of espionage for his role in turning SARS into a spy-unit. His actions represent a breach of our democracy, by a thug who manipulates the resources of the state to serve his personal interests.

Furthermore, the EFF will be reporting Gordhan to the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, for lying to Parliament about meeting with the Guptas, essentially breaching his oath of office.

Gordhan's continued presence in the Executive of the country represents a rot the highest offices of the land that must be removed. He remains a bacteria to the democratic fabric of this country and is currently leading the greatest capture of our state institutions to facilitate their sale to his friends and cronies.

Statement issued by the EFF, 30 November 2020