Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan was born on 12 April 1949 and is a politician and anti-apartheid activist who has held various ministerial posts in the Cabinet of South Africa.
22 Facts About Pravin Gordhan
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 since February 2018.
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Pravin Gordhan was born in Durban, and matriculated from Sastri College in 1967.
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Pravin Gordhan completed his pharmacy internship at King Edward VIII Hospital in 1974 and worked there until 1981 when the Natal Provincial Administration dismissed him for his political activities while he was in detention.
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Pravin Gordhan was released from jail in 1982 and received banning orders effective until June 1983.
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Pravin Gordhan attended the launch of the United Democratic Front in Cape Town 1983 where the NIC became an affiliated organisation.
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Pravin Gordhan was previously the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service from 1999 to 2009.
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Pravin Gordhan was chairman of the World Customs Organization from 2000 to 2006.
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In 2014, Pravin Gordhan was appointed as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, succeeding Lechesa Tsenoli who became Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa.
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On 14 December 2015, Pravin Gordhan was re-appointed as Minister of Finance, replacing David van Rooyen who had been minister for 4 days.
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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.
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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.
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Pravin Gordhan was the SARS commissioner in 2007, when the so-called rogue unit was set up.
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Pravin Gordhan has maintained that it was above board and had ministerial approval.
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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".
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Pravin Gordhan then sent a letter to the Hawks through his department that he would be unable to meet the deadline imposed.
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Pravin Gordhan wanted to know from what authority the Hawks asked these questions of him.
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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".
20.
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.
21.
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.
22.
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".