Enoch Godongwana, who leads the African National Congress economics committee, has backed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.<\/p>\n
He told Johannesburg-based broadcaster eNCA that the investigation into Gordhan is an attempt to remove him from office and weaken the National Treasury.<\/p>\n
This follows the minister\u2019s moves to probe spending at power utility Eskom and South African Airways, and state arms company Denel relating to a joint venture, that could give business to a company linked to the Gupta family, who are friends with President Jacob Zuma.<\/p>\n
\u201cI share that view that in fact these charges are being concocted in order to cover all of those things, to find a minister which is pliant, which is going to accept all those things,\u201d Godongwana said in an interview with eNCA that was broadcast on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Gordhan may face arrest by the Hawks over allegations he set up the tax investigative body a decade ago when he headed the South African Revenue Service. The minister and Zuma have been at loggerheads over Gordhan\u2019s demand that the tax commissioner be fired for insubordination.<\/p>\n
Godongwana said it\u2019s unprecedented that the finance minister no longer has control over the nation\u2019s revenue service.<\/p>\n
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