Mcebisi Jonas resigns as ANC MP
Former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas has resigned as an ANC MP, the party confirmed on Thursday.
Jonas was fired along with his former boss, Pravin Gordhan, during a cabinet reshuffle last week. The Office of the ANC Chief Whip confirmed the resignation, which was effective 31 March 2017.
“Comrade Jonas has served both as Deputy Minister and MP with absolute distinction and dedication. He has also served the movement and the South African people in various capacities over the years. On behalf of the ANC in Parliament we thank comrade Jonas for his selfless service to the movement as its public representative.
“We are confident that he will continue serving the country and our movement in other capacities in future. We wish him well,” the group said.
Jonas’ resignation follows the resignation of former transport minister, Dipuo Peters, who also lost her job in the reshuffle. Peters said she was retiring to look after her health and focus on her family.
Critics of Zuma’s reshuffle within the ANC expressed anger at Jonas and Gordhan’s removal, saying that the only thing they were guilty of was being incorruptable.
Jonas was at the center of the state capture scandal after revealing that he was approached by friends of the president, the Gupta family, with an offer to be finance minister – on condition that he assist them in securing billions of rands’ worth of government contracts.
According to Jonas, he was offered R600 million, which he refused.
Since his affidavit making the claims, all investigations into the matter have been dismissed, and the Public Protector’s report on state capture remains in limbo as the president and other government officials implicated in the saga plan to challenge it in court.
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