KARYN MAUGHAN: Why this court case against Pravin Gordhan has massive implications
Seth Radebe argued that Gordhan’s decision to axe him from the board, after he’d been in his position for just four months, was irrational, illegal and defined by “unfair discrimination”
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Gordhan’s lawyer, Nazeer Cassim, said that after a “thorough investigation” the minister concluded: “This man is no good at this point in time for the Transnet board. He can’t be the chairman of the audit committee.”
Cassim said any suggestion that Gordhan’s decision to fire the Transnet board was driven by racism is “rubbish”.
“There is nothing here that shows Minister Gordhan is a racist. With great respect, that’s just rubbish, for want of a better word,” Cassim told the court.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan insisted in court on Monday that his decision to fire the Transnet board was driven by its failure to act against corrupt and reckless activities related to state capture. But former board member, and head of the Transnet audit committee, Seth Radebe argued that Gordhan’s decision to axe him, after he’d been in his position for just four months, was irrational, illegal and defined by “unfair discrimination”. This, Radebe’s lawyers told the High Court in Pretoria, was because Gordhan chose not to fire a white board member, Arlana Kinley, who had been appointed at the same time as Radebe. Kinley later resigned. Radebe has filed an urgent application to challenge his dismissal by Gordhan and to seek the removal of the new Transnet board appointed by Gordhan. At the heart of this case is Transnet’s R50bn acquisition of 1,064 locomotives, which, according to the Gupta Leaks e-mails, allegedly resulted in Gupta-linked companies received multibill...
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