Korner Talk: Pravin Gordhan is Dr Evil

• Published date: 06 May 2024
• Publication title: Mail & Guardian: Web Edition Articles (Johannesburg, South Africa)

And it is not only the bald head, chubby cheeks and the sadistic scowl stationed on both Gordhan's and Dr Evil's faces that illuminates their lasting likeness

Rather, it is that both men are renowned for hatching schemes to terrorise those around them — wreaking havoc on all and sundry with the riveting ruse that what they are doing is for the good of the people.

Nothing accentuated Gordhan's reign of terrorising state-owned entities (SOE) more than his revelations last week that power utility Eskom, logistics firm Transnet and South African Airways had, together, lost a staggering R227 billion through corruption, fraud and bribery over the last five years — with him at the helm of the ministry overseeing the country's parastatals.

Responding to a written question by Farhat Essack, DA MP and the party's spokesperson on public enterprises, Gordhan did his best to put the proverbial lipstick on the dirty pig, admitting that Eskom alone accounted for more than R203.1 billion in losses, but that the government was remedying the crisis.

"In addressing the recommendations of the state capture commission, the department formed working groups with [the] Special Investigating Unit, state organs and other enforcement agencies to implement proclamations relating to maladministration concerning the affairs of SOCs [state-owned companies]," Gordhan wrote.

"This initiative resulted in the employment of a civil litigation strategy to recover funds associated with SOC losses sustained during the state capture era and other forms of administrative corruption."

The state capture excuses the pathetic public enterprises minister has parroted during his tenure have been akin to his Mini-Me, a valuable accomplice to trot out every time he comes under fire for his failures.

To explain, Mini-Me was Dr Evil's pint-sized sidekick, who had little dialogue in the Austin Powers movies but was always available to carry out his surrogate father's insidious ideas.

The "I am fighting state capture" ruse has been Gordhan's Mini-Me, masking the muddled ministerial years in charge.

For one, Transnet — which posted record profits in the billions of rand for successive years, including shipping a high of 76 million tonnes of coal in 2017 — announced a loss of more than R5.7 billion in September for the financial year ending 31 March 2023.

Yet whenever the public demanded accountability from him, pointing out that the economic levers have regressed with him in charge, Gordhan consistently...