SACP says members deployed to cabinet will resign if Gordhan is axed

The speculation of a reshuffle intensified after former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe was sworn in as a Member of Parliament last week.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan after the budget speech outside Tuynhuis Presidential Guesthouse. Picture: GCIS

Clement Manyathela | about 11 hours ago

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Communist Party (SACP)s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has resolved that should Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan be fired, members of the communist party deployed in Cabinet may resign en masse to avoid being complicit to what the party calls 'bad decisions'.

The communist party held a briefing in Johannesburg on Sunday following its CEC meeting.

Their resolution comes amid increasing calls by some African National Congress (ANC) structures, for Gordhan to be axed and speculation that President Jacob Zuma will reshuffle his Cabinet.

The speculation of a reshuffle intensified after former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe was sworn in as a Member of Parliament last week.

The SACP says following the disastrous axing of Nhlanhla Nene as Finance Minister in 2015, members of the communist party in Cabinet may resign if Gordhan or any senior Cabinet minister is axed.

SACP first Deputy-Secretary Jeremy Cronin says, "The danger is that well get sucked into being complicit in seriously wrong things."

But he says another option will be for their members to stay in Cabinet and fight looting and corruption.

"If theres wholesale resignations from Cabinet, the ability to hold the line against corruption or bad judgement, or poor policy making and so forth... so its a complicated decision."

There are six ministers and two deputy ministers who are part of the SACPs CEC.