Court gives Zuma five days to explain why he fired Gordhan

The Democratic Alliance has won its application to the North Gauteng High Court to have President Jacob Zuma provide reasons for firing former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his then deputy Mcebisi Jonas, reports The Citizen.

The party has announced that the court has given the president five days to provide reasons for his decision that he was highly criticised for.

Last month, the DA filed an urgent application with the North Gauteng High Court to request that the president’s decision to remove Gordhan and his deputy, Jonas, be set aside on the grounds that it was irrational, unlawful and invalid.

“Every exercise of public power must be subject to the principles of legality and rationality, especially the exercise of all of the President’s powers, which includes decisions to appoint or dismiss ministers and deputy ministers,” said Selfe.

“The President ought to have reasonably foreseen the dire consequences of this reshuffle, given what happened in 2015 when he fired then Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.”

Selfe said the DA believed Zuma’s decision should be set aside, as it did not meet the requirements of rationality and was, therefore, illegal.

“However, in order for his decision to be reviewed and according to Rule 53 of the Unified Rules of Court, the record of decision must be provided, as our urgent application seeks to achieve,” explained Selfe.

“After numerous delaying tactics, President Zuma claimed that the DA, and indeed South Africa, is not entitled to the record and reasons for his reshuffle.

“The President’s disingenuous refusal to explain himself forced the DA to file an urgent compelling application to force the President to hand over his reasons and all records pertaining to his reshuffle.”

– Caxton News Service