The DA has accused Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan of showing Parliament “the middle finger” by refusing to provide information or reports on the SAA/Takatso deal, the airline’s current operational performance and its remaining obligations to taxpayers.
DA MEMBER of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) Alf Lees has hit out at Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.
Lees said Gordhan had shown Parliament “the middle finger” by refusing to provide information or reports on the SAA/Takatso deal, the airline’s current operational performance and its remaining obligations to taxpayers – as directed by Scopa at its meeting on November 15, 2022.
“Not only has Gordhan refused to provide the required information and reports on SAA and its new equity partner, he has obfuscated and taken more than two months to provide his non-response, which he was requested to provide in two weeks,” Lees said.
He said it was astonishing that Gordhan claimed he had been waiting for a legal opinion more than two months after appearing before Scopa.
“Any legal practitioner worth their salt would not dare to provide an opinion in favour of Pravin Gordhan withholding information from Parliament and thus being in violation of his constitutional obligations.
“The disdain with which Gordhan, as the Minister of Public Enterprises, treats Parliament is astounding. The question remains whether or not the Scopa chair will escalate Gordhan’s malfeasance to the Speaker of Parliament and the deputy president, the leader of government business, to force him to provide the required information and ensure that Parliament takes whatever disciplinary action against him for failing in this regard,” said Lees.
He said if Parliament failed to ensure that Gordhan provided all required information, it would set a dangerous precedent in which any minister will be able to refuse to provide information or respond to Parliament whenever they want.
“I will write to the chair of Scopa, urging him to escalate Gordhan’s malfeasance as well as to obtain an opinion from the Parliament legal adviser on Gordhan’s obligation to provide all information and reports required by Scopa.
“I will also write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to demand that he take action to ensure that Gordhan provides all the information required by Parliament. I will also demand that President Ramaphosa dismiss Gordhan as the Minister of Public Enterprises and not appoint him to any other Cabinet position,” added Lees.
