Finance minister Gordhan says unable to meet deadline to answer police questions

South Africa's Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will not meet a Wednesday deadline set by an elite police unit to answer questions on his role in setting up a spy unit at the revenue service, his lawyers said.

In a letter from his lawyers, Gordhan said he had received the questions at a time when he was preparing his budget speech, which he delivered on February 24. Gordhan is a former head of the South African Revenue Service.

"He will respond in due course, once he has properly examined the questions and ascertained what information, of the information you request, he is able to provide," the letter from his lawyers, Gildenhuys Malatji said.