Jacob Zuma wanted former finance minister Pravin Gordhan to resign instead of being fired by him.
Gordhan told the Zondo Commission into state capture yesterday that former ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had called him to a meeting at Luthuli House and told him the former president felt their relationship had deteriorated beyond repair.
Mantashe told Gordhan that Zuma wanted him to resign instead of being fired.
But Gordhan said he refused to do so and elected to be fired instead.
Days later on March 30 at midnight, Zuma reshuffled his cabinet and Gordhan was fired along with his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.
They were replaced by Malusi Gigaba and Sifiso Buthelezi.
Gordhan said he was not informed about his removal and watched the announcement on TV along with the rest of the public.
In his third consecutive day of testimony before the commission, Gordhan detailed how days before his firing he was on an important investor roadshow in London along with former director general Lungile Fuzile when they were abruptly informed to return home.
In the meantime, Zuma was speaking to the ANC’s alliance partners about his plans to fire Gordhan and used a suspicious intelligence report as a reason for his decision.
Gordhan said by the time he came home, the “two-page intelligence report” had been circulating on social media.
The SA Communist Party, which rejected the report and Gordhan’s firing, reported the report to the inspector general.
Gordhan also asked the commission to “follow the money’’ looted from the country’s state-owned enterprises and that assets from the culprits be seized by authorities.
“This will ensure those involved in these activities feel the first signs of pain through freezing their assets... which might include five Lamborghinis or 10 Ferraris, whatever the case might be,’’ said Gordhan.
The first action is the high court application against former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and his executives and the Gupta-linked Regiments Capital.
They are facing a R189 million claim involving the 1 064 locomotives Transnet tender, where they allegedly scored hundreds of millions of rands in kickbacks.
Transnet reportedly wants the money paid back with interest.