Ramaphosa comes out to bat for Zuma over Gordhan axing

President Cyril Ramaphosa will fight a ruling that his predecessor Jacob Zuma must detail what led to his decision to fire Pravin Gordhan as Finance Minister.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko has confirmed that Ramaphosa will approach the Constitutional Court to appeal the ruling‚ which is linked to an aborted Democratic Alliance bid to challenge Zuma’s rationality in axing Gordhan.

Key to that decision was a so-called “fake intelligence report”‚ which Zuma reportedly used to accuse Gordhan of treason and justify his removal. That report was disowned by the state security ministry.

While not examining whether that report was real or not‚ both the High Court and the Appeal Courts found that the Presidency should provide a record of what material and inputs led to Zuma’s decision on Gordhan - but they were careful not to comment on the DA’s prospects of successfully fighting a Cabinet Reshuffle in Court.

Diko has previously said that Ramaphosa was concerned about the possible precedent set by the ruling.

Ramaphosa is currently facing a legal challenge to his decision to move controversial spy boss Arthur Fraser to a powerful job at correctional services‚ despite multiple serious allegations against him.

He has not provided a record of what led to that decision‚ despite multiple requests from the DA’s lawyers.