Court bars Zuma’s bid to join Gupta-Gordhan banks case

The president filed papers on Monday seeking to strike down a bid by Standard Bank, reports The Citizen.

The bank has asked for a court order to be granted declaring that no member of the national executive, including President Zuma and all members of Cabinet, is empowered to intervene in any manner whatsoever in any decision taken by Standard Bank to terminate its banking relationships with the Guptas’ Oakbay Investments and its associated entities.

The president maintained Standard Bank should have cited him as a respondent and should not be allowed to seek relief which sought to use the court to order the president and members of Cabinet not to exercise their executive powers.

Gordhan is seeking an order declaring that he has no power to interfere with the decision of South Africa’s four major banks not to do business with the Guptas and their companies.

Counsel for the president Matthew Chaskalson SC conceded that the president could not intervene after Judge President Dunstan Mlambo pointed out that Zuma was “not before court” and had not launched any formal application to intervene in the matter.

Chaskalson said he would take instructions from the president if he should maintain a watching brief over the proceedings.

The judges appeared unconvinced by Sahara Computers’ argument that the state attorney had no authority to act on behalf of the finance minister because Gordhan had ulterior political motives and should be made to pay for the legal costs personally.

Judge Lebo Modiba remarked that the minister was not a junior official and had brought the application in his official capacity.

– Caxton News Service