SA Communist Party: ‘If Gordhan falls, corruption will never be stopped’

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has thrown its weight behind Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, amid fierce controversy with the Public Protector.

Speaking during a press briefing, which focused, primarily, on the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, SACP General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, announced his support for Gordhan and his work to rid the nation of debilitating malfeasance. Mapaila was joined at the podium by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and investigator Paul O’Sullivan.

Subversive political fight back, drawn along loyalist lines

The briefing, which comes in the wake of former president Jacob Zuma’s contentious testimony before deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, took place at Constitution Hill on Thursday and dealt with issues of a subversive political ‘fight-back’. This nefarious resurgence, claimed to be intrinsically drawn across loyalist lines within the African National Congress (ANC), has played a central role within the State Capture Inquiry.

Zuma, himself, has argued that his quandaries have emanated from a sinister ‘character assassination’ plot which involves members of his own political party.

The two-fold narrative, which has been established in the wake of Zuma’s forceful removal from the presidential throne, has divided both the public and the ruling party. Zuma loyalists claim that he has been targeted for seeking to further the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) agenda. Zuma’s detractors and Ramaphosa’s supporters argue that Zuma led the country – and the ANC – down a destructive path, typified by cronyism and State Capture.

Despite being implicated in wrongdoing by several politicians and businesspeople, Zuma has denied the very existence of State Capture.

Gordhan, who actively campaigned for Zuma’s removal from office, has recently been placed in the crosshairs of the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, leading many to believe that she is part of the ‘fight-back’ agenda.  Mkhwebane, who recently reopened controversial investigations into the so-called ‘SARS rogue unit’, has recommended that disciplinary action be taken against Gordhan for wrongdoing during his tenure as SARS commissioner.

Ramaphosa has refused to enact the Public Protector’s recommendation while the matter is being reviewed by the judicial system, leading to further legal contestation between all parties involved.

SACP backs Gordhan, lashes out at ‘immoral’ Zuma

While Mapaila was careful not to align Mkhwebane with the pro-Zuma fight-back project, the SACP General Secretary stated that Gordhan should be protected and not vilified. Mapaila said:

“If we allow someone like Pravin Gordhan to fall, all of us will fall – one by one – and corruption will never be stopped.

We want to say to the comrades of the unit at SARS, you have done very well.”

Mapaila went on to defend the SARS ‘unit’, saying that it had fulfilled its operational mandate by targeting “drug lords, cigarette smugglers and abalone poachers”.

On the issue of State Capture, Mapaila vowed to stand in solidarity with those who were willing to expose the truth. He said:

“We will make it clear that we refuse to allow ministers, public officials, whistleblowers, activist and journalists who speak out against state capture, to be targeted, subdued and defamed by political bullies.”

When asked about the Communist Party’s support for Jacob Zuma, Mapaila lambasted the former president by stating:

“Zuma doesn’t represent an iota of moral integrity.”