Zuma targets Gordhan – says Treasury is blocking transformation goals: report
President Jacob Zuma has hit out at the national treasury for frustrating the ANC’s economic transformation agenda and failing to provide enough funds so that ministers can complete scheduled projects.
According to a report in the 2 February edition of BusinessDay, Zuma had made the remarks at the party’s three-day lekgotla this past week, following the blocking of key, Zuma-backed projects by finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
The report indicated that the remarks were the first in a series of opening salvos that would see Zuma make a number of changes to the Treasury. These changes are likely to be introduced through discussion documents at the ANC’s policy conference in June.
The report comes amid speculation that the president is close to implementing a cabinet reshuffle, in which his enemies – those who stood against him at the infamous NEC meeting held at the end of 2016 – would be given the chop.
This includes finance minister Gordhan as well as tourism minister Derek Hannekom, who was reportedly the man behind the move against Zuma at the NEC.
It is understood that Zuma will move former AU chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma into his cabinet, paving the way for her formal entry into the race to be the party’s next president.
There was also speculation that the president would appoint former Eskom boss Brian Molefe, who has previously been named as a potential replacement for Gordhan in National Treasury.
However, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe quashed those rumours in a statement this week, pointing out that Molefe had not yet been nominated by his home province (North West) to be eligible for promotion to Parliament.
You can read the full report in Business Day for 2 February 2017.
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