Former finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his “crew of smurfs” have been on a tour of insulting and degrading African National Congress (ANC) leaders, President Jacob Zuma’s son Edward Zuma said in an open letter.

Zuma on Sunday said he would have to go against the "factional notion" of respecting one's leaders, claiming it was being used to gag people like himself.

In the letter, Edward suggested that ANC members Mcebisi Jonas, Derek Hanekom and Gordhan have sold out black people.

'Propaganda funded by Johann Rupert'

“This I say because as they serve in senior structures of the ANC, it's something that one would expect last from them as they have been able to lie and manipulate our masses to believe their nonsense and propaganda which is funded by Johann Rupert and all those that made some of our leaders who today are able to call the youth of this country stupid,” he wrote.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was recently quoted in media reports saying, “we don’t want youthful leaders who are stupid” while speaking at an ANCYL event in Hillbrow.

Zuma asked in the letter:

"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?"

Edward said while “white monopoly capital” continued to say the ANC was crazy to even discuss land expropriation without compensation, Gordhan, he claimed, continued to defend them.

“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 [Public Investment Corporation] 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,” he said.

He challenged Gordhan “and his crew of smurfs” to encourage Gigaba to proceed with the forensic investigation.

“As for Pravin I know and understand that he will never say anything as this is something close to his private purse since we all know he is a pharmacist and as he stated that such institutions need those that are suitable and speak to what is really the language in this country's economy.

"But again I will not expect him Pravin to succumb to my assertion as his bread is buttered by white monopoly capital and he has become their darling."

He said the country would survive with or without Gordhan.

“Whoever misled you by telling you that you are indispensable really doesn't like you mkhulu [grandfather].”

Gordhan told News24 on Sunday evening that he hasn’t seen the letter, “so I won’t be able to comment”.