Barbara Hogan, Kathrada's widow, speaks to the media at press conference at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, 31 March 31, 2017. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
The widow of late African National Congress (ANC) struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada has added her voice to the swell of voices expressing discontent with President Jacob Zuma’s unprecedented Cabinet reshuffle.
Addressing the media in Johannesburg on Friday, Barbara Hogan blasted Zuma for axing finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, after recalling them from an international investor roadshow earlier this week, saying the “president has clearly gone rogue”.
Hogan urged citizens to protect their country from the “the rouges and thieves”.
“I call on everyone not to remain silent and sit on the fence. The country is not for sale,” she said.
Kathrada, affectionately known as “Uncle Kathy”, was laid to rest at Westpark cemetery on Tuesday after he died in Johannesburg following complications from brain surgery at the age of 87.
His funeral became an impromptu rally against Zuma by senior leaders of the governing ANC following the president’s decision to cancel Treasury’s trip to the UK and US, which turned out to be the first step towards a much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle.
Hogan was a minister in Zuma’s Cabinet in his first term, during which she served as the minister of public enterprises.
In March last year she confirmed that the controversial Gupta family, Zuma’s benefactors, had put her under a great deal of pressure to allegedly do favours for an airline linked to their business interests.
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