Gordhan mum on claim Guptas offered Jonas top job

He was answering media questions earlier today during a feedback briefing on his overseas roadshow in Britain and the United States to woo investors.

The Sunday Times yesterday reported that Mcebisi Jonas was the offered the position of Finance Minister ahead of Gordhan by members of the controversial Gupta family at a meeting where President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzile is said to have also been present.

The ANC’s deputy secretary general, Jessie Duarte is also said to have offered Jonas the post over the phone. 

Gordhan says they know nothing of this.

"So-called senior officials are not allowed to enter into political terrain on these sorts of matters and if we do find out that somebody crossed the line, we'll deal with that. We can assure Miss Duarte that the Treasury is not in the habit of engaging in this kind of conduct," he said. 

On the state of the country's economy, Gordhan says the investor world is watching South Africa very closely.

He says during the overseas trip, investors asked questions about the country's slow economic growth and revenue that possibly won't increase.

Gordhan says state owned-companies also came under the spotlight.

"The ideal state that we want to get to in a few years' time is that many of these companies operate on the strength on their own balance sheets that we want to undertake the review of minor state entities that you see particularly at a provincial level and understand what level of overlapping and duplication there is so we can rationalise many of the smaller ones," he said. 

(File photo: Getty Images)