Kathrada, struggle big guns, to accompany Gordhan to court

12 October 2016

Johannesburg - Anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada will be among the African National Congress heavyweights that will accompany Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to court on November 2.

He said other members of his foundation, including board members Derek Hanekom, Laloo Chiba, Max Sisulu, Kgalema Motlanthe, Barbara Hogan, Prema Naidoo, and Sophie Williams-De Bruyn, would be at the Pretoria Regional Court as well, he said in a statement on Wednesday.

NPA head Shaun Abrahams announced on Tuesday that Gordhan, his former Sars deputy Ivan Pillay and former Sars commissioner Oupa Magashula would face a charge of fraud relating to a R1.1m early retirement pay-out to Pillay in 2010. Pillay was later rehired as a consultant.

Gordhan was Sars commissioner between 1999 and 2009.

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said the charges were an attempt to lay the foundation for the removal of Gordhan from the post of finance minister.

The foundation’s director Neeshan Balton said Treasury stands was a bulwark against schemes aimed at short-changing South Africans.

The foundation called on South Africans to show solidarity with the trio.

The ANC stalwarts had been critical of President Jacob Zuma’s leadership of the country and party, including his sacking of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister in December.

Zuma appointed former Merafong mayor Des van Rooyen to the post, but removed him after four days following a public outcry. He replaced him with Pravin Gordhan, who had served in the post previously.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.