WATCH SA Students Praise Gordhan as He Faces Stand-Off with SARS Chief

A group of South African school students were interviewed by Morning Live’s Leanne Manas following the Post-Budget Breakfast Briefing Thursday to which they had been invited. Their praise for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan comes at the same time he is said to be in a stand-off with the head of the SA Revenue Service Tom Moyane.

Gordhan has threatened to resign if Moyane is not removed from his position, according to news reports. The Democratic Alliance (DA) said Gordhan’s resignation would be “a disaster” and called on Gordhan today to make a public statement on his rumoured ultimatum to President Jacob Zuma. The president reportedly has no intention to remove Moyane.

News came to light on Friday of a letter Gordhan had been sent by the Hawks investigating team, asking questions about a rogue unit that had been working in SARS apparently when he was head of it, before taking over as finance minister from Trevor Manuel.

Speaking this morning in Rosebank, Gordhan reportedly said “hopefully later today or early tomorrow I intend to put all the facts on the table”.

Gordhan called the letter “totally outrageous” but said he kept quiet about it until after his budget address on Wednesday to “put the interest of the country and the economy … first”, according to a local news report.

Many have questioned the timing of the letter when so much is at stake for Gordhan as the new minister of finance – and for the country – and Zuma’s diminishing popularity. Zuma is apparently close to Moyane.

As for the students questioned by Manas, they welcomed Gordhan’s answers during Thursday’s session to issues like the #FeesMustFall movement and the sugar tax (“brilliant for our generation” and those without self-control!).

Watch Video: Students interviewed after Post Budget Breakfast, Western Cape

They felt the breakfast meeting showed how Gordhan and his team are providing the country with inspirational leadership – “which is somewhat lacking in South Africa” – and welcomed his drive to root out corruption, reduce debt and see money spent and invested in the right places.

A debating student said they were left with a “general sense of optimism” from the minister and leaders of industry and business, who were at the breakfast, recognising that “faith and positivity” will carry us through the tough times.

The official opposition party called on Minister Gordhan to make a public statement clarifying “whether he in fact gave an ultimatum and threatened to resign; and how he intends to proceed to deal with the fallout at SARS”.

The DA said “the stakes are high and the minister’s resignation would be a disaster, sending us hurtling towards a sovereign ratings downgrade in South Africa.”

Watch Video: Post-Budget Breakfast Briefing

Minister Gordhan talks and answers questions at a breakfast briefing following his Budget speech on Wednesday. Please note: – fast forward from 4:16 to 10:40 where filming begins again.