The Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan has dismissed scurrilous comments by parliamentarians in the portfolio committee on public enterprises (PCEP) made during discussions on his eleventh-hour cancellation of an appearance he was to make on Thursday to respond to allegations made by fired director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi.
Parliamentarians in the Khaya Magaxa-led committee were breathing fire after they were informed at the session that Gordhan had indicated on Wednesday night that he would not be attending the session because his medical personnel had advised him not to fly.
Magaxa clarified that the minister’s notification had arrived late night on Wednesday, too late for him to call the session off.
Parliamentarians questioned the nature of the ailment that allowed the minister to attend a lengthy Cabinet meeting on Wednesday but would not permit his appearance before the committee.
In a statement, Gordhan’s spokesperson Ellis Mnyandu said the minister has condemned the scurrilous and vacuous claims that he is running away from accountability.
He said Gordhan clearly communicated to the portfolio committee on public enterprises that due to ill-health he had been advised by a medical specialist not to fly to Cape Town until certain tests have been performed. Because of this advice, the minister duly requested the committee to provide him with an alternative date to appear before it.
“It is unsurprising that the South African public is once again being hoodwinked by political opportunists who know no bounds of decency and are intent on twisting every fact, and use every means to mask their political bankruptcy,” Mnyandu quoted the minister as saying.
“We are an accountable government, and any suggestion that my inability to travel is in any way a disguised attempt to avoid accountability is patently false,” said Minister Gordhan in the statement.
The minister was initially confirmed to appear before the committee on August 7, but the committee postponed the meeting at the last minute on Friday, August 4, Mnyadu said.
Magaxa would not be drawn into an in-depth commentary on the minister’s observation of the committee under his watch.
“I am in the ANC caucus and can’t speak on the phone currently. By the way, I don’t think it is necessary to respond to that at all,” he said, in reference to the minister’s statement issued on Thursday evening.
“The minister is playing hide-and-seek with us. I do not agree we must go find him to account to us. If he is so frail, why does he not resign so somebody who is fit can take over the work?” submitted EFF MP Nqobile Mhlongo.
Mhlongo and other committee participants had felt let down by the minister’s no-show, with Magaxa pointing out that there were other matters of national importance that they had to attend to, such as oversight over SAA and power utility Eskom, which is currently besieged by load shedding.
“We are under pressure from the Speaker to conclude this investigation of our minister as it is minor compared to national issues like load shedding, which we have to attend to.”
The committee deliberated on whether to give Gorhan one more opportunity, or to summons him.
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