Judge slams Survé over claims of links to Gordhan and DA

Western Cape judge Patrick Gamble has denied having any association with either public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan or the DA.

This comes after businessman and Independent Media chairperson, Iqbal Surve, was quoted in reports saying that Gamble — who issued an order for the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) to conduct a raid at his offices in Cape Town — was a friend of the DA and Gordhan.

“You went to a judge who is a friend of the DA and Pravin Gordhan. This is purely a fishing expedition on your part,” he said speaking to an official from FSCA.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the FSCA said the raid at Survé's offices was part of an investigation into allegations of “prohibited trading practices (market manipulation)".

The body said the order was granted by Gamble on October 8.

In a statement released by the office of the chief justice on Friday, Gamble said he did not know Gordhan and had never met him, either in his official or personal capacity.

“Neither the minister nor his department were, in any event, parties to the proceedings,” the statement reads.

"[Gamble] has no affiliation nor membership with any political party, nor has he in the past.”

According to the statement, Gamble had dealt with urgent court matters, including the FSCA applications, in the week of September 30 to October 4.

“On Tuesday, October 1 2019 the FSCA lodged two confidential applications with the chief registrar of this court for search warrants of the offices of Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd and certain other companies in Cape Town under the relevant statutory provisions. The chief registrar placed the files before Judge Gamble, who thereafter dealt with the applications,” the office of the chief justice said.