Feet hit the street in rally for Pravin

The groundswell of support for Pravin Gordhan has gained further momentum with KwaZulu-Natal community leaders joining hands and raising their voices on behalf of the finance minister.

Already the DA and EFF have encouraged South Africans to stand together in solidarity with Gordhan and to take part in planned marches around the country to show their support.

More than 200 academics, business people, community activists, doctors, legal minds and ordinary citizens gathered yesterday at the David Landau Community Hall in Asherville in Durban to discuss their plans as part of the Call to Action campaign.

Organised by the Active Citizens Movement, former anti-apartheid leaders and activists agreed to meet at the Durban City Hall or outside the SA Revinue Services offices on November 2 when Gordhan, Ivan Pillay and Oupa Magashula will appear in court.

The National Prosecuting Authority served summons on Gordhan and the other former tax officials last Tuesday, ordering them to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on November 2.

They are expected to be charged on counts relating to the approval of an early retirement plan for the former deputy commissioner of SARS Pillay.

In question is the manner in which Pillay’s retirement package was approved and how his contract was extended for five years.

The Durban march is one of several taking place on November 2.

The EFF called on Gordhan’s supporters to march in Pretoria.

“We realised we can’t sit back while there is a national crisis. There were calls for us to do something about the assault on our democracy. The idea is to focus on how we express solidarity with our comrades,” said Yusuf Vawda of the Active Citizen's Movement.

Retired Judge Thumba Pillay said the impression he had from people in the legal field was that the charges were bound to fall flat.

“Apart from the charges against Pravin, there are other issues, one of which is the capture of state institutions. There is a war going on in the ruling party, cabinet and state institutions,” said Judge Pillay.

Professor Jerry Coovadia said: “Having lived here all my life I’ve never been in, or seen, a worse position. The purpose of the gathering today was precipitated by the acuteness of the attack on Pravin Gordhan and the role of government, [President Jacob] Zuma and his acolytes and some of the other members of the ANC,” he said.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated his support for Gordhan.

“Events of the past few days regarding summonses served on Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan have been of concern to many South Africans across all sectors of society,” he said.

“I lend my support to Minister Gordhan as he faces charges brought against him by the NPA.”

DA leader Mmusi Maimane told a media briefing yesterday at Liliesleaf farm in Johannesburg: “If we fail to have a working parliament we also allow the project of state capture‚ as envisaged by Jacob Zuma‚ to continue further. We want to prevent the National Treasury from being incorporated into Zuma Inc.”

— Additional reporting Jan Bornman and Reuters

NOTE: In a previous version of this article we incorrectly refer to Yusuf Vawda as a member of the EFF. Mr Vawda is infact a member of the Active Citizen's Movement. The error is regretted.