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Zuma marginalised the ANC‚ stalwarts say

While President Jacob Zuma was abroad, the finance minister was served with a summons that will see him charged. Does that mean the president, being away, was not involved in the affair, asks the writer. Picture credit: SIMPHIWE NKWALI
While President Jacob Zuma was abroad, the finance minister was served with a summons that will see him charged. Does that mean the president, being away, was not involved in the affair, asks the writer. Picture credit: SIMPHIWE NKWALI

ANC stalwarts‚ a group formed to push for reforms in the ruling party‚ have expressed concern over President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle.

“The way the decision was apparently taken and the lack of consultation also shows a marginalisation of the ANC by the President. As stalwarts we cannot allow the ANC to become marginal to the affairs of the country‚” stalwart Mongane Serote said in a statement on Friday morning.

He said the stalwarts were in consultation and would give a more measured response to the reshuffle‚ which saw Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas axed from the Finance Ministry‚ after months of speculation.

OPINION: Firing of SA’s finance minister puts the public purse in Zuma’s hands South Africa has entered a new political chapter that promises catastrophic outcomes after President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his cabinet last night, firing the finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, among others.  

Gordhan was replaced by Malusi Gigaba‚ formerly the Minister of Home Affairs‚ and Fikile Mbalula was made Minister of Police.

Zuma also fired Tina Joemat-Petterson and replaced her with ANC MP Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi as energy minister.

The group said that the disastrous consequences for the rand were not to be viewed lightly.

“This is not about so-called white monopoly capital; the decline in the rand affects the value of every worker’s pension and can only negatively impact on the most vulnerable of our society‚ due to its effect on the prices of basic goods.

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 “It also means our ability to invest in our children’s future becomes more expensive through the increases in the cost of government borrowing. Anyone who cares about our economy must express concern.”

The reshuffle followed the recall of a Treasury team from an international road show in London earlier this week.

Serote questioned the qualifications of some of Zuma’s newly appointed ministers and said appointments should be guided by performance targets.

Zuma reshuffle an act of ‘complete state capture’ – oppositionOpposition parties have lambasted President Jacob Zuma over his late-night Cabinet reshuffle. 

“Ministers must be appointed because their skills are aligned to the needs of the departments they head. Decisions must be made on merit and not self-interest‚ especially within a government that is of the ANC‚ with its long history of collective responsibility and consultation.

“There are serious question marks over the criteria used for this reshuffle. There appears to be no alignment in the reshuffle with the attainment of targets in the performance agreements between members of the Executive and the President.”

The stalwarts said they will not become involved in the ANC’s factional fights but will fight to preserve the party’s legacy.

“As elders of the movement‚ whilst we are aware there will be very real efforts to derail an honest introspection and the planned national consultative conference‚ we will continue to work openly to ensure the legacy of the ANC is not lost.”

The stalwarts are a group of 101 veterans who last year released a document called For the Sake of our Future‚ which urged Zuma to resign and for the ANC to end factionalism. The group also called for a national consultative conference to address the party’s issues.

 

 

 

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