Daily Maverick speaks with Pravin Gordhan

[Daily Maverick] FIRST THING with JOHN STUPART Wednesday, 3 May 2017 "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Thomas Jefferson Spartan – Financing that backs entrepreneurs. [Learn More](. STORY OF THE DAY [Pravin Gordhan: From freedom fighter to finance minister to ‘accidental hero’]( By RANJENI MUNUSAM A month ago, South Africa was shaken to the core by President Jacob Zuma’s late-night Cabinet shake-up, which included the axing of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas. The events of that week triggered mass public protests, an explosion of the divisions within the ANC and the alliance, and the intensification of efforts by opposition parties and civil society to remove Zuma from office. In an extensive interview at his Pretoria home, Gordhan spoke to RANJENI MUNUSAMY about the events of that fateful week, his relationship with Zuma and his former Cabinet colleagues, the impact of the reshuffle on the National Treasury and why he supports the call for a judicial commission of inquiry into state capture. [Trump and Putin's 'very good' phone call]( A ceasefire in Syria was the focal point of President Donald Trump's most recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether the call was about forming a genuine ceasefire or simply saying the words to make a nice press release is another matter entirely. The duo did, however, also agree to meet at the next G20 summit. [Mysterious illness spreads through Liberia]( An unknown illness has claimed at least 12 lives in Liberia, with reports of it now reaching the capital. The World Health Organisation has confirmed that it is not a resurgence of ebola, nor is it Lassa fever. Despite sharing some of the symptoms, tests have thus far proven inconclusive. [French voters dissatisfied with their choice]( Sunday's vote in France will be conducted amidst a cloud of thoroughly dejected voters. A local survey has shown that one in four French voters plan to abstain, while one in seven were unhappy with their two choices. The results are disturbing, given the importance of voter attendance in elections worldwide. [Antarctica's ice not melting as fast as thought]( Ice loss in the Antarctic may not be as drastic as previously thought, a new British study has shown. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, the report indicated that just a third of the current loss estimate proved accurate. Researchers studied loss in 30 glaciers since 1992 in Western Palmer Land. Make no mistake, however, the loss remained significant and was unequivocally due to climate change. — Spartan – Financing that backs entrepreneurs. [Learn More](. PICTURE OF THE DAY BY EPA/STR The Mount Sinabung volcano spews volcanic lava and ash as seen from Tiga Pancur Village in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 2 May 2017. Sinabung volcano continues to erupt and the volcano has been on high alert since June 2015. IN NUMBERS 382 The number of days a 400-pound Scotsman went without eating. He weighed 180 pounds at the end. FACTS OF THE DAY Today is World Press Freedom Day. A day not celebrated worldwide, funnily enough. Reindeer can see UV light. FEATURED ARTICLES [Pravin Gordhan: From freedom fighter to finance minister to ‘accidental hero’]( [Pravin Gordhan: From freedom fighter to finance minister to ‘accidental hero’]( BY Ranjeni Munusamy [Zuma, Corruption and the Arms Deal: The gift that just keeps on giving]( [Zuma, Corruption and the Arms Deal: The gift that just keeps on giving]( BY Marianne Thamm [Elvis in the courthouse: ‘Coup plotter’ claims questioned]( [Elvis in the courthouse: ‘Coup plotter’ claims questioned]( BY Greg Nicolson [Op-Ed: Replacing Zuma does not in itself rebuild democracy]( [Op-Ed: Replacing Zuma does not in itself rebuild democracy]( BY Raymond Suttner [Reporter’s Notebook: The parliamentary sausage machine grinds slow]( [Reporter’s Notebook: The parliamentary sausage machine grinds slow]( BY Marianne Merten [Review: ‘No Longer Whispering To Power: The Story of Thuli Madonsela’]( [Review: ‘No Longer Whispering To Power: The Story of Thuli Madonsela’]( BY Rebecca Davis [CSIR proposes electricity mix for IRP 2016 which excludes nuclear power]( [CSIR proposes electricity mix for IRP 2016 which excludes nuclear power]( BY EE PUBLISHERS [Field of Dreams – Gift Ngoepe is exactly why we love sport and our crazy country]( [Field of Dreams – Gift Ngoepe is exactly why we love sport and our crazy country]( BY Antoinette Muller OPINIONISTAS [Corruption may be less serious than we think]( [Corruption may be less serious than we think]( A column by Ivo Vegter [Helping in tough times reminds us that Ubuntu exists and makes us who we are]( [Helping in tough times reminds us that Ubuntu exists and makes us who we are]( A column by Refiloe Nt’sekhe [Sometimes the injuries no one can see are harder to handle]( [Sometimes the injuries no one can see are harder to handle]( A column by Antoinette Muller [Political sideshows won’t detract from achievements of Zuma Presidency]( [Political sideshows won’t detract from achievements of Zuma Presidency]( A column by Edna Molewa [To help Eastern Cape schools, add a dose of active citizenship]( [To help Eastern Cape schools, add a dose of active citizenship]( A column by Brian Levy [Philanthropy, civil society and litigation – without these our democracy could truly be captured]( [Philanthropy, civil society and litigation – without these our democracy could truly be captured]( A column by Shelagh Gastrow — Spartan – Financing that backs entrepreneurs. [Learn More](. Weather BFN: min: 13° max: 24°, cloudy CPT: min: 16° max: 28°, sunny DBN: min: 19° max: 28°, cloudy EL: min: 19° max: 24°, rainy JHB: min: 8° max: 24°, cloudy KIM: min: 14° max: 26°, cloudy NLP: min: 8° max: 27°, sunny PMB: min: 10° max: 27°, rainy PE: min: 18° max: 21°, rainy PTA: min: 10° max: 24°, cloudy Financial Data Oil=$51.10 Gold=$1,255.98 Platinum=$925.33 R/$=13.35 R/€=14.56 R/£=17.24 $/€=0.91 JSE All Share=53,915.64 DJIA=20,941.88 FTSE 100=7,250.05 [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2017 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome and on the Daily Maverick First Thing subscriber list. [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](