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Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan made it clear to the media that today he would not be distracted by events next week.
Before taking questions during an embargoed media briefing this morning, Gordhan took charge and appealed to journalists to “act like reasonable adults”.
He accepted that it was not possible to be “ostriches with heads in the sand” regarding the political context in which the medium term budget policy statement (MTBPS) was being made.
However, he said: “Let’s recognise that today is about the MTBPS. When we get to next week we will talk about next week. That’s the deal,” he said, referring indirectly to his pending court appearance on charges of fraud.
When journalists ignored his appeal and asked how heavily the charges weighed on him, he interjected:
“That’s next week … Can we have that as a deal … I have lots to say too … If we start, then you won’t finish here at 11.30am, or even at 2pm, and I won’t deliver my MTBPS. I don’t want go to there. Okay.”
But the charges against Gordhan were an undercurrent throughout the briefing.
Even Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande – who arrived midway with Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe to deal with the tertiary education funding issue – could not resist touching on it.
Nzimande thanked the Gordhan for being “very supportive and understanding, despite his own challenges”.
He added these challenges would remain unnamed.
Nzimande also said he wanted to take notes about how Gordhan managed media briefings, to which the finance minister quipped: “I might just be available for a job.”
Gordhan will appear in court on November 2 after being charged with fraud in relation to former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay’s early retirement.
The controversial decision by the NPA to charge him has been widely criticised, even from within the ANC, with allegations that the criminal justice system was being undermined to serve particular political interests.
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