Confusion as Zuma’s lawyers order the DA to hand over “intelligence report”
President Jacob Zuma’s legal team has officially submitted papers following last week’s judgement asking him to explain former finance minister Pravin Gordhan’s axing, reportedly instructing the DA to hand over the intelligence report as described in its original court filings.
According to eNCA legal reporter, Karyn Maughan, who received early access to the request submitted by the ANC, the demand from Zuma’s lawyers is creating ambiguity as to whether the president is asking for the DA’s report so as to help furnish reasons for the firings, or whether he is outright denying the intelligence report even exists.
South Africans have been waiting for president’s official response to the court order that he provide the record and reasons for his late March cabinet reshuffle, which is due this Thursday.
The DA brought the case the led to the ruling, seeking to challenge Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle on the grounds that it was not rational.
While there have been several longstanding rumours that an ‘intelligence report’ was used to fire Gordhan , Zuma’s official explanation for firing Gordhan was that there was an irretrievable breakdown in the working relationship between the two.
This was confirmed in an ANC statement following a National Working Committee meeting on the issue, where the party accepted the president’s reasons for reshuffling his cabinet, lamenting that the intelligence report was picked up and used as the “only” reason for the move.
“The issue of the intelligence report complicated the matter, creating a lot of unhappiness. This was consequently presented as the only reason for his removal which was unfortunate and incorrect,” the ANC said.
The so-called intelligence report was also mentioned by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe and other officials, who were not satisfied with it being used as justification to fire Gordhan.
The alleged report was said to contain information of Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas trying to get foreign powers to initiate regime change in South Africa.
BREAKING: President Zuma’s lawyers now demanding DA provide them with “intelligence report” linked to Pravin Gordhan firing -and its source pic.twitter.com/ajKZAqH61E
— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) May 10, 2017
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