EDITORIAL: No end yet to Gordhan puzzle
Is the suspension of Shaun Abrahams back-pedalling or persecution for failing to prosecute Pravin Gordhan?
There comes a point when confusion turns into exasperation and exasperation becomes confusion. President Jacob Zuma gave notice on Tuesday of his intention to suspend Shaun Abrahams, the national director of public prosecutions, and two other officials pending an inquiry into their fitness to hold office. The ostensible motivation is rooted in the concerns raised by the Helen Suzman Foundation about the manner in which the National Prosecuting Authority conducted the attempted prosecution of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. What is one to make of this decision? Given the botched attempted prosecution, it’s possible to understand this as payback for poor performance. The rap over the knuckles may be a consequence not of the decision to prosecute Gordhan, but the failure to prosecute him effectively. Which is it? Some insight into this question was provided on Tuesday when legal submissions in the case revealed that behind the scenes, there had been a fearsome row between Abrahams and...
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