Cape Town - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan arrived at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria with an entourage from Treasury.
This is seen as a strong show of support for Gordhan, whose legal team is facing off with 14 Gupta-owned companies over the blacklisting of their bank accounts by South Africa’s top four banks.
Gordhan is seeking a declaratory order to protect the Treasury’s executive from having to intervene in the closure of the Guptas’ bank account by the country’s top four banks.
His appearance in court follows his earlier visit to Luthuli House, where he is assumed to have been given his marching orders by President Jacob Zuma.
This despite speculations that should he drop the axe on Gordhan, there would be resignations en masse led by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom also leaving his Cabinet but remaining as members of Parliament, reported News24.
Media reports claim the national executive committee (NEC) endorsed Zuma's alleged decision to fire Gordhan. This came in the wake of earlier reports that Zuma informed the South African Communist Party of Gordhan's sacking, reported Bloomberg.
The SACP forms part of the Tripartite Alliance with the ANC and the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Zuma instructed Gordhan to return immediately from a post-budget investor roadshow in the UK and US. Treasury director general Lungisa Fuzile was with Gordhan at the time. Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas was set to join a delegation in the US on Tuesday.
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