Gordhan vs Hawks: What President Zuma can do
Jacob Zuma has expressed his 'full support' for Pravin Gordhan but claims he can do nothing to defuse the crisis created by the Hawks. He is wrong
In the Hawks' investigation of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, President Jacob Zuma is firmly on the Minister's side.At least, this is what he says. In a statement released on 25 August, the President expressed ‘his full support and confidence in the Minister of Finance’ and emphasised ‘the fact that the Minister has not been found guilty of any wrongdoing’. He is also aware that the Hawks’ investigation is an extravagant own-goal. He ‘noted the concerns’ of civil society and the ‘negative effect of these matters on our economy’ and the ‘personal pressure on the individuals affected’. All of this is ‘disturbing’. Indeed. Given all of this, one would expect the President to take action. Unfortunately, his hands are constitutionally tied. According to him, the President ‘does not have powers to stop any investigations into any individual/s’ and to do so would be to ‘intervene unconstitutionally’. No wonder the President didn’t feel the need to cancel his trip overseas.
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