South Africa woke up to a new set of headlines about Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan yesterday. This time the newspapers told us that the Hawks investigative unit had written to his lawyers and told them they would not arrest the finance minister.
That should bring some relief to many who have been worried about the devastating instability around the finance ministry and the impact of all these shenanigans on the rand, the investment climate and the economy.
Whispering campaigns will continue against Gordhan and his colleagues at Treasury. There will be whispers about Gordhan’s academic qualifications, his leadership of Treasury, his relationships with various people and entities.
The horrendous smear campaign currently focused on deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas will encompass Gordhan and others at Treasury.
All this will be done with the tacit support of the president of the republic, a man who has made it clear that he was very satisfied with Des van Rooyen, the man he appointed in December last year – and wiped off hundreds of billions of rand in value from ordinary workers’ pensions and savings.
Remember Zuma said just a week and a half ago at the ANC’s provincial NGC that Van Rooyen “was the best candidate to take over the control of the economy”.
Zuma then moaned that “South Africa is the only country in the world in which the majority does not control its own economy”. Meanwhile, the Zuma machine will also be working furiously to sell the story that there is no capture of the state or Zuma himself by the Gupta family.
Remember Zuma’s words at the ANC NGC in Gauteng: “If you talk about state capture, you’re misleading people. You’re taking a small issue and making it a big issue.” So it will go. Gordhan’s departure will come from his wife and family saying to him: “What is the point of this? Why are you stressing yourself out like this?”
At some point he will join many other great men and women lost to the public service after Zuma’s arrival at the Union Buildings.
It will happen in time. And when it does, we will all gratefully accept that indeed “transformation” has to happen and that “the economy is in good hands”.
Then SAA, which Zuma has vowed to “get closer” to, will get its multi-billion rand bailout with the blessing of a new finance minister. The nuclear build programme will take off, costing us billions.
Eskom’s deal with Tegeta will finally be smoothed out, making the Guptas and Zumas instant billionaires. The PIC will suddenly see a spike of very soft loans – soon to be written off – to certain connected individuals. The Treasury will have been stolen.
This is what our future looks like under President Zuma.
Likely spin ahead to pave way for exit of Gordhan
That should bring some relief to many who have been worried about the devastating instability around the finance ministry and the impact of all these shenanigans on the rand, the investment climate and the economy.
Whispering campaigns will continue against Gordhan and his colleagues at Treasury. There will be whispers about Gordhan’s academic qualifications, his leadership of Treasury, his relationships with various people and entities.
The horrendous smear campaign currently focused on deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas will encompass Gordhan and others at Treasury.
All this will be done with the tacit support of the president of the republic, a man who has made it clear that he was very satisfied with Des van Rooyen, the man he appointed in December last year – and wiped off hundreds of billions of rand in value from ordinary workers’ pensions and savings.
Remember Zuma said just a week and a half ago at the ANC’s provincial NGC that Van Rooyen “was the best candidate to take over the control of the economy”.
Zuma then moaned that “South Africa is the only country in the world in which the majority does not control its own economy”. Meanwhile, the Zuma machine will also be working furiously to sell the story that there is no capture of the state or Zuma himself by the Gupta family.
Remember Zuma’s words at the ANC NGC in Gauteng: “If you talk about state capture, you’re misleading people. You’re taking a small issue and making it a big issue.” So it will go. Gordhan’s departure will come from his wife and family saying to him: “What is the point of this? Why are you stressing yourself out like this?”
At some point he will join many other great men and women lost to the public service after Zuma’s arrival at the Union Buildings.
It will happen in time. And when it does, we will all gratefully accept that indeed “transformation” has to happen and that “the economy is in good hands”.
Then SAA, which Zuma has vowed to “get closer” to, will get its multi-billion rand bailout with the blessing of a new finance minister. The nuclear build programme will take off, costing us billions.
Eskom’s deal with Tegeta will finally be smoothed out, making the Guptas and Zumas instant billionaires. The PIC will suddenly see a spike of very soft loans – soon to be written off – to certain connected individuals. The Treasury will have been stolen.
This is what our future looks like under President Zuma.
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