President Cyril Ramaphosa has been warned against reappointing public enterprise minister Pravin Gordhan into his incoming cabinet.
EFF leader Julius Malema cautioned Ramaphosa against Gordhan saying that if he dares appoint him into his cabinet, Ramaphosa will prove no different from his predecessor former president Jacob Zuma. He was speaking at Ramaphosa's inauguration at Loftus stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
"If he dares appoint Pravin, he is not different from Zuma. He has got no respect for the office of the Public Protector (Busisiwe Mkhwebane) and the Constitutional Court said we must respect that office.
"It doesn't matter if the report of the PP is a mess, the fact that it comes from the Public Protector it must be respected and be treated with respect. Until it is reviewed by the courts. For as long as the courts have not set it aside, it's binding."
Malema's comments come a day after Mkhwebane released a damning report which found Gordhan guilty of "improper conduct" with regards to his approval of then-deputy SA Revenue Services commissioner Ivan Pillay's early retirement and payout.
Disciplinary action
In her remedial findings, Mkhwebane urged Ramaphosa to take appropriate disciplinary action against Gordhan for violating the Constitution. She also says that steps need to be taken to recover the money, Fin24 reported.
A few hours after Mkhwebane's report was released, Gordhan said she erred in her findings adding that the report was wrong in both fact and law. Gordhan added that he plans to institute immediate review proceedings against Mkhwebane.
"Pravin parades himself as an honourable man and an honourable man will respect a chapter nine institution and say let me go and clear this mess once I'm done, the president will decide what to do."
Speaking on the much awaited cabinet announcement, Malema advised Ramaphosa not to appoint any "constitutional delinquents".
"He must not appoint anyone who's got shenanigans that are going on. Bosasa, and those type."
DA leader Mmusi Maimane reiterated saying he expected to see a trimmed cabinet without "criminals".
"Lets make sure that we have a cabinet that is streamlined that can focus on delivering jobs for our people."
There has been widespread speculation over Ramaphosa's new cabinet. News24 understands the cabinet is likely to be slashed by nine ministers when it is reconfigured.
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