He's apologised for saying so before, but this did not stop President Jacob Zuma's son Edward for once again accusing former finance minister and MP Pravin Gordhan of being a white monopoly capital puppet. In a lengthy open letter released on Sunday night, Zuma accused Gordhan and his "crew of Smurfs" of being on a tour to insult President Zuma, News24 reported.
Edward Zuma said Gordhan and his "crew" were funded by business mogul Johann Rupert and accused "white monopoly capital" of being behind their cause.
On Thursday night, Gordhan called for the "rot" of state capture and corruption to be combatted, and called for greater transformation of society. Speaking at the inaugural ASI Financial Services' Thought Laboratory in Alexandra, Gordhan said: "Stage one of transformation today is how do we fight the rot... In all of this, the state plays a very important part in the change process. If a state is captured, can it play that role?" he asked.
"The majority of South Africans, whether it is in the political parties or outside, want a servant state. We've got some tough battles to fight in that regard."
Last week, Gordhan called for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed President Zuma as leader of the ANC at the party's elective conference in December. He reportedly said Ramaphosa should send Zuma back to Nkandla once he took office.
On Sunday, Edward Zuma reportedly lashed out at Ramaphosa too, after Ramaphosa said the country did not need young leaders who are "stupid".
"How do you tell white monopoly capital that demanding our land is crazy? How do you want to measure us with the west when you were part of decision making on the establishment of BRICS vs the dictatorial tendencies of the western countries?
"Why does Pravin say South Africans aren't clever enough to lead and rule this country when he himself is a member of Parliament, so why not resign in protest?" said Zuma.
He reportedly challenged Gordhan to support Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba's forensic probe into the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
"Pravin is claiming to be a super and can't do without individual as he is being used by the whites who clearly want the economy to remain in their hand by hook or crook.
"They are continuing to steal from the PIC and many more state and private institutions which goes undetected because it's not black people e.g. KPMG and all these white owned companies that have been given workers funds through the PIC, hence this fight and anger when the Minister of Finance [Malusi Gigaba] wants to probe them through a forensic (sic)," he said.
In August, Edward Zuma heckled Gordhan during a speech on corruption in Pietermaritzburg.
He reportedly shouted "Pravin, you are lying! You sold this country to Rupert!"
He was forced to apologise by the ANC for previously calling Gordhan and former tourism minister Derek Hanekom stooges of white monopoly capital -- a move welcomed by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, according to eNCA.
In that open letter, Zuma called Hanekom a "vile dog" and a "white it Afrikaner Askari (sic)", eNCA reported.
Social media did not take kindly to his latest open letter.