The public must hold officials to account - Gordhan
11 October 2016
Johannesburg – Members of National Treasury are expected to conduct themselves in a way that does not compromise the economic reputation of the country and jeopardise the welfare of citizens, while a handful of people in government continue to “extract” from the public purse, said Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Gordhan was speaking at the Open Tender Seminar, held in Midrand on Tuesday, despite the news that he has been summoned to appear in court on 2 November 2016, on a charge of fraud over the Sars spy unit.
This comes just over two weeks before the minister is expected to deliver the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). Government intends to deliver the MTBPS on 26 October to indicate the revenue and expenditure situation of the country for the remainder of the year. Gordhan emphasised the meaning of the word “intend” given the recent development of the Hawks probe.
“I always had to be diplomatic about these matters,” said Gordhan, who was referring to the investigation into the Sars rogue unit.