President Jacob Zuma
Photo by: Duane Daws
The current stand-off between Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) was not on the agenda and was not discussed when President Jacob Zuma held a high-level meeting with chief executive officers of major corporates in South Africa, representatives of organised labour and the Black Business Council on Friday.
“The question that has been raised – whether this meeting discussed between the Hawks and the minister of finance, no, that was not discussed. I don’t think that was an item on the agenda for this meeting,” Zuma told reporters as he emerged after spending hours in the meeting at the Union Buildings.
“But there was an indication that the manner in which the narrative has been going, negatively in the country, we should not continue with that. [We need] to allow the efforts that we are doing to succeed. The more we say things, in whatever setting, whether in government, political and business leaders, it’s not helping. That is an appeal that this meeting has made.”
Zuma said the various sectors, including government, organised labour, politicians and business needed to work together and not tear each other apart.
“We’ve a few things that have been happening in the country, and we are referring to all of that. Ours is to see us working together. The very fact that we are together here, indicates the continuity of the work were doing. We are going to continue with the posture that we have presented to the world, where the leadership of business and government work together to address issues and to indicate where the country is going,” said Zuma.
At the joint press briefing, Business Unity South Africa president, Jabu Mabuza, said business leaders had to exercise restraint when they made public statements.
“It is important that us, as business leaders, need to govern ourselves. We need to mind our language, we need to be careful and be conscious of the things we say and ask ourselves ‘is this what I’m saying going to give confidence to investors?’ We also asked the president and he has spoken to it. There are some utterances that come from the political side, we also asked the president,” said Mabuza.
“We have undertaken that we will govern our people and ask everybody to say please check your language. If there is a difference, let us close the door and differ inside the house. To go and make statements that are not helping in building (investor) confidence is really undermining the work we are trying to do.”
Gordhan said he hoped that the extensive efforts currently underway involving multiple sectors in South Africa would cushion the country from a dreaded downgraded when international rating agencies review the country and its economy.
“We feel confident that the work we have been doing together will provide sufficient evidence that we are serious about the commitments that we made to improve prospects for growth, stabilise our financial situation and ensure that government sticks to its undertaking to continue with fiscal consolidation – although it is going to be very tough in a low growth environment,” said Gordhan.
Sipho Pityana, the chairperson of gold producer AngloGold Ashanti, has called on South African business leaders to boycott international tours with government officials to promote investment in the country and to demand Zuma’s resignation.
The outspoken struggle veteran has also reportedly said he is losing sleep over alleged attempts to remove Gordhan from office.