"Our souls are not for sale," Gordhan speaks post Cabinet reshuffle
Outgoing Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has addressed the media at the National Treasury's Budget Office following the latest Cabinet reshuffle, seeing his removal and that of his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas.
Listen to the full bulletin below.
President Zuma announced the appointment of 10 ministers and their deputies late last night with Gordhan being replaced by now former Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba.
Gordhan has dismissed allegations of the so-called intelligence report believed to be the basis of the president's decision to remove him from Office.
The former minister says he has been sickened by the allegations that he is trying to undermine the government.
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"People, like both of us, have been activists in the struggle from a very young age. Why on earth would we want to undermine this country now? I don't think that anyone can reasonably and logically explain except permanent analysts in a particular station," he said.
Thanking the president for the opportunity, Gordhan has detailed the reasons for his initial appointment - saying this was due to a blunder he's referred to as '9/12' that saw Nhlanhla Nene removed from the Finance Ministry last year and the subsequent instability of the markets.
He has also addressed the reports of being recalled from an international roadshow in the UK and the US - saying the trip was to meet with three key ratings agencies in addressing strategies of reducing wasteful expenditure and to meet with potential investors, that control US$5 trillion in collective funds, on behalf of the country.
This is a routine annual trade roadshow, he says.
The outgoing minister has also applauded his former deputy, Mcebisi Jonas for coming out about money he was offered by the Guptas last year.
"South Africans that are watching and South Africans that will hear about this, will commend the minister deputy minister in his stance last year in saying he was offered a bag of cash. If you do commend him, you can clap. One thing that we must emphasize is that our souls are not for sale. We've got our own brown bags and they are for carrying clothes - we don't need anybody's brown bags. We hope that more and more South Africans will make it absolutely clear that our country is not for sale," he said.