ANC top 6 split on firing Gordhan: report
The ANC’s top six are split right down the middle on president Jacob Zuma’s desire to fire finance minister Pravin Gordhan, according to Bloomberg.
An inside source told the news group that Zuma had approached the rest of the top six with his plan to fire Gordhan, claiming that the minister was trying to sabotage the economy in secret meetings overseas.
He reportedly said that Gordhan’s plan was to undermine him as president.
However, Zuma only received support from two others in the top six – speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, and deputy secretary general, Jessie Duarte.
Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general, Gwede Mantashe and treasurer general Zweli Mkhize were not supportive of the move against Gordhan, and wanted more discussion on the matter.
According to Bloomberg’s source, who did not want to be named as no official message has come from the party on the matter, the top six will meet again next Monday (3 April) to discuss the matter.
South African markets were sent into a spin this week after Zuma suddenly recalled Gordhan from an international investor roadshow, sparking fears that a cabinet reshuffle targetting the minister was imminent.
Separate reports, quoting independent sources, indicated that Zuma had made his intentions to fire Gordhan clear to both the leaders of the SACP and the ANC.
The rand reflected the market’s fears, dropping over 6% in three days, taking the currency from 20-month highs, back to levels seen earlier this year.
In late trade on Wednesday, the rand settled around the R13.00 to the dollar mark, as the market took a ‘wait-and-see’ approach on the matter.
Read: Rand drops 6% in three days as markets wait for the Gordhan bubble to burst
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