D-day for Gordhan's budget

Johannesburg – Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is expected to deliver his 2017 Budget to Parliament on Wednesday.

Speculation that Gordhan may be fired has been renewed by an announcement that the ruling party will install former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe as an MP this week, possibly ahead of his appointment to Cabinet.

On Monday, Gordhan said he was “not indispensable”.

“We are just humble civil servants,” Gordhan said in an interview with broadcaster eNCA, when he was asked about rumours that President Jacob Zuma planned to replace him and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.

Gordhan was appointed finance minister in December 2015, following Zuma’s disastrous decision to remove Nhlanhla Nene from the post and replace him with former Merafong municipality mayor Des van Rooyen.  

Lockups have been arranged for journalists in Cape Town and Pretoria, which will allow access to the Budget documents prior to Gordhan's address in the National Assembly.

READ: Beyond the numbers, Gordhan's Budget will be a political statement

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