1. Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist who held various ministerial posts in the Cabinet of South Africa.
28 Facts About Pravin Gordhan
1. 2.
Pravin Gordhan served as Minister of Finance from 2009 until 2014, and again from 2015 until 2017, as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 until 2015, and as Minister of Public Enterprises from February 2018 until June 2024, when the entire Department of Public Enterprises and its ministry were abolished following the 2024 general elections.
3.
Pravin Gordhan was born on 12 April 1949 to an Indian South African family, in Durban, and matriculated from Sastri College in 1967.
4.
Pravin Gordhan completed his pharmacy internship at King Edward VIII Hospital in 1974 and worked there until 1981.
5.
Pravin Gordhan was released from jail in 1982 and received banning orders effective until June 1983.
6.
Pravin Gordhan became a key figure in the United Democratic Front since 1983 when the NIC became an affiliated organization.
7.
Pravin Gordhan was previously the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service from 1999 to 2009.
8.
Pravin Gordhan was chairman of the World Customs Organization from 2000 to 2006.
9.
In 2014, Pravin Gordhan was appointed the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, succeeding Lechesa Tsenoli who became Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa.
10.
On 14 December 2015, Pravin Gordhan was re-appointed Minister of Finance, replacing David van Rooyen who had been minister for four days.
11.
In 2018, Pravin Gordhan was re-appointed to the Cabinet of President Cyril Ramaphosa as Minister of Public Enterprises, taking over from former Minister Lynne Brown.
12.
Pravin Gordhan would oversee state-owned enterprises including the likes of Eskom, SAA, Denel, and others.
13.
Pravin Gordhan did not receive enough branch nominations to be included on the "Top 200" list of people nominated for election to the ANC National Executive Committee ahead of the party's 55th National Conference in December 2022.
14.
Pravin Gordhan retired from politics at the end of the sixth administration of South Africa's democratic government.
15.
Controversial businessman Iqbal Surve had repeatedly accused Pravin Gordhan of targeting Surve's Sekunjalo Group while Surve and Sekunjalo companies faced fraud investigations by the FSCA and termination of banking services.
16.
Surve's accusations against Pravin Gordhan were found to be baseless and lacking in evidence.
17.
Pravin Gordhan was the SARS commissioner in 2007, when the so-called rogue unit was set up.
18.
Pravin Gordhan has maintained that it was above board and had ministerial approval.
19.
Pravin Gordhan himself was baffled by the questions, having the following to say "Once again, the Hawks and those who instruct them, have no regard for the economic and social welfare of millions".
20.
Pravin Gordhan then sent a letter to the Hawks through his department that he would be unable to meet the deadline imposed.
21.
Pravin Gordhan wanted to know from what authority the Hawks asked these questions of him.
22.
Pravin Gordhan was quoted, "I believe this was meant to intimidate and distract us from the work we had to do in preparing the 2016 Budget".
23.
In October 2016, South Africa's state prosecutor levied fraud charges against Pravin Gordhan for allowing a former colleague at SARS to take early retirement and then re-hiring them as a consultant.
24.
In October 2016, Pravin Gordhan lodged an application in the North Gauteng High Court to rule that he may not interfere with the major banks' decision to close the Oakbay Investments accounts.
25.
In July 2019 the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa ruled that Mkhwebane's action as Public Protector against Pravin Gordhan be suspended, pending a judicial review of Mkhwabane's report on the SARS "rogue unit".
26.
Pravin Gordhan was accused of orchestrating the sale of South African Airways in "an irregular manner".
27.
Pravin Gordhan had planned to sell the state-owned airline for ZAR 51 to the Takatso group, but the deal was scrapped after two years in the making.
28.
On 10 September 2024, Pravin Gordhan's family announced that he was admitted to hospital.