"Just as the purpose of a pilot is to ensure the smooth passage of his ship, and of a doctor to make his patient healthy, so a statesman's objective must be the happiness of his country."
Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica), 54 BC
(as quoted by Robert Harris, Dictator, 2015)
By his own words and actions, President Jacob Zuma placed himself, his family, friends and party before the country, and acted, as Cicero might have said, for "personal glory".
The events of the past week - three finance ministers in four days - and the agendas and unknown advice from unknown quarters (not cabinet) that propelled him to make the dreadful decision to fire former minister Nhanhla Nene, which saw the rand dive and markets lose R171 billion, once again prove he and the ANC are unable to rule.
Even after Sunday night's appointment of Pravin Gordhan to the post to mitigate the damage, replacing David van Rooyen (the "weekend finance minister"), on Monday ANC spokesmen still claimed the market had overreacted to Nene's firing, some recovery had been made, and the president had listened to "representations", which did not explain how and why he made the decision in first place.
As if empty words could repair the damage done to trust, confidence and market losses still sustained.
At the press conference yesterday Gordhan (why did van Rooyen not hold one last Thursday or Friday? - it showed his inexperience) said we - business and South African public - must do our part, and committed government to strict fiscal discipline and that state enterprises are not the "personal toys" of their administrators.
He was testy and combative when responding to journalists' questions about what is happening and whether he will walk the talk - he said things we heard before.
However, have we, the public and taxpayers, not done our part, and been badly let down by them? Who brought the country to an economic abyss over the past week and allowed corruption, incompetence and mismanagement to become engrained in the fibre of society? Not us but them - and Gordhan is among the culprits.
While I agree Gordhan is "honest and intelligent", as with his predecessor Trevor Manuel, I think the business-friendly media's favourable assessment of him is overstated. I don't think he was all that "tough" when facing down his profligate president and colleagues before. Under his administration Nkandla and its egregious waste of R250 million was allowed to proceed; public sector salaries ballooned and the country received two ratings downgrades. However, an article this morning says he was removed in 2014 just as he found his "backbone" by instituting strict fiscal measures. Hopefully, his prominence now gives him the fortitude to do what must be done.
Gordhan, government and the ANC - I deliberately exclude the president - have much to do to convince South Africans and the world that this time things will be different. I don't believe they can make a difference though, not when they still make excuses for and defend Zuma, the worst president of South Africa, and keep him in office.
Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica), 54 BC
(as quoted by Robert Harris, Dictator, 2015)
By his own words and actions, President Jacob Zuma placed himself, his family, friends and party before the country, and acted, as Cicero might have said, for "personal glory".
The events of the past week - three finance ministers in four days - and the agendas and unknown advice from unknown quarters (not cabinet) that propelled him to make the dreadful decision to fire former minister Nhanhla Nene, which saw the rand dive and markets lose R171 billion, once again prove he and the ANC are unable to rule.
Even after Sunday night's appointment of Pravin Gordhan to the post to mitigate the damage, replacing David van Rooyen (the "weekend finance minister"), on Monday ANC spokesmen still claimed the market had overreacted to Nene's firing, some recovery had been made, and the president had listened to "representations", which did not explain how and why he made the decision in first place.
As if empty words could repair the damage done to trust, confidence and market losses still sustained.
At the press conference yesterday Gordhan (why did van Rooyen not hold one last Thursday or Friday? - it showed his inexperience) said we - business and South African public - must do our part, and committed government to strict fiscal discipline and that state enterprises are not the "personal toys" of their administrators.
He was testy and combative when responding to journalists' questions about what is happening and whether he will walk the talk - he said things we heard before.
However, have we, the public and taxpayers, not done our part, and been badly let down by them? Who brought the country to an economic abyss over the past week and allowed corruption, incompetence and mismanagement to become engrained in the fibre of society? Not us but them - and Gordhan is among the culprits.
While I agree Gordhan is "honest and intelligent", as with his predecessor Trevor Manuel, I think the business-friendly media's favourable assessment of him is overstated. I don't think he was all that "tough" when facing down his profligate president and colleagues before. Under his administration Nkandla and its egregious waste of R250 million was allowed to proceed; public sector salaries ballooned and the country received two ratings downgrades. However, an article this morning says he was removed in 2014 just as he found his "backbone" by instituting strict fiscal measures. Hopefully, his prominence now gives him the fortitude to do what must be done.
Gordhan, government and the ANC - I deliberately exclude the president - have much to do to convince South Africans and the world that this time things will be different. I don't believe they can make a difference though, not when they still make excuses for and defend Zuma, the worst president of South Africa, and keep him in office.
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