Ex-South Africa finance minister ends testimony at judicial hearing

South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, has concluded his testimony at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture.

Pravin Gordhan who was dismissed from his position as Finance Minister in 2017 by Jacob Zuma, has indicted the former President of allowing a climate of impunity which breeds corruption.

“These were the first signs of what the public narrative or analysis was beginning to indicate at the time that the Treasury was one of the key targets of this state capture.”

In early October, Nhlanhla Nene, had told the Commission of Inquiry that he was fired from the Ministry of Finance by President Jacob Zuma for opposing a lucrative nuclear contract with Russia, which never came to fruition.

According to Gordhan, “A “mistake” was made, in quotation marks, in placing me in the Treasury and something had to be done to get rid of me, and I would tell you here that very harsh lessons were learned from the turmoil caused by Mr. Nene’s dismissal.”

The Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, has estimated that the amount of public funds diverted in South Africa in recent years has reached more than 6.8 billion US dollars.

Members of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party, gathered outside the courtroom to demand Gordhan’s resignation.