Zuma skirts issue on Nene’s removal

President Jacob Zuma appeared to be skirting the issue in his responses to written questions in Parliament on Tuesday with regards to the removal of Nhlanhla Nene from the minister of finance post on December 9 last year.

He was asked by the Democratic Alliance’s David Maynier whether he had decided to remove Nene‚ why he was removed‚ and whether he had consulted with anyone before removing him from his ministerial post.

Maynier also asked the president whether the decision to remove Nene “had any implications for the state of the economy” and whether‚ subsequent to removing him‚ he had offered to re-appoint him to the finance portfolio.

Zuma’s response was that it was “a matter of public record that Mr Nhlanhla Nene was relieved from his duties as a Minister of Finance on 9 December 2015”.

He added: “It is the prerogative of a sitting President to appoint and change members of his/her Cabinet as he deems necessary. It is the same prerogative enshrined in the Constitution that I exercised on 9 December 2015.

“Decisions to make changes to the Cabinet are made with the best intentions and for the public interest‚ including the economy.”