Former Sars Commissioner Tom Moyane was granted permission to cross-examine ublic Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and this has seen accusations of racism against Gordhan and Moyane being belittled, all of which has been denied.
Former South African Revenue Service (Sars) Commissioner Tom Moyane at the state capture inquiry in Johannesburg on 30 November 2020. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – It’s been an afternoon of heated exchanges between counsel for former South African Revenue Service (Sars) boss Tom Moyane and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan at the state capture commission.
Moyane was granted permission to cross-examine Gordhan and this has seen accusations of racism against Gordhan and Moyane being belittled, all of which has been denied.
Moyane’s lawyer, Advocate Dali Mpofu, presented a transcript of a conversation between Gordhan and Moyane, which he said proved that Gordhan was arrogant.
Moyane also said that Gordhan was petty when he excluded Moyane from sitting at the head table at a budget media conference.
GALLERY: Tom Moyane and Pravin Gordhan face off at Zondo Inquiry
Mpofu said that Gordhan gave then-deputy Minister Mcebisi Jonas instructions to sideline Moyane even though he was the first Sars commissioner to collect R1 trillion.
“You accept that he was the first Sars commissioner in the country to collect R1 trillion,” Mpofu put to the minister.
Gordhan: “It might be correct. I have to check the records.”
“Well, he was the first and the second trillion was also collected by him and the third one. When he did that, you did not congratulate him. You asked him specifically not to come to the press conference for the Budget.”
Moyane claimed that Gordhan was arrogant, had petty jealousies, was racist and tried to deflect from his own involvement in state capture and corruption, all accusations that Gordhan denied.
But Mpofu said that a telephone conversation between them proved this.
“I put it to you, that in the South African context you tell a grown man in his 50s or 60s to grow up, you are belittling him and it’s a sign of racism.”
Gordhan: “Well, I reject your understanding and what you are putting to me.”
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo made a ruling earlier that Mpofu must not ask Gordhan about other people that he had accused of state capture, including former President Jacob Zuma and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
WATCH: State Capture Inquiry cross-examination of Minister Pravin Gordhan by Tom Moyane
