Gareth van Onselen wrote a searing deconstruction of finance minister Pravin Gordhan, and the hero worship surrounding him.
I never bought into the media's smarmy praise - "sensible, cautious, saving for the future" - of our finance
ministers from Trevor Manuel to the present (Des van Rooyen - who dat?).
For
me Onselen's best line describes Gordan, past finance ministers and
ANC: "It would be foolish to elevate Gordhan to the status of
deity. He has a nasty majoritarian streak. Ostensible piety belies a
typical
arrogance that has contributed to the crisis the ANC
(and South Africa) finds itself in."
The
fact is before they were appointed they were dilettantes in economics
and finance - the high-level expertise needed on their CVs to run a
modern economy. At the time, with my third class pass in honours
economics, even I knew better than Manuel's "amorphous markets" comment
that sent the rand into a dive.
Manuel, who had a engineering diploma from alma mater Pentech but is now regarded as Obi-Wan of finance and economics, staunchly defended the Arms Deal and stood, along with the rest of them, by Thabo Mbeki's side during his Aids denialism. The loss of lives, human capital and to the economy is incalculable, which he should have known.
Sure they grew into the job and displayed above average competence compared to their mediocre cabinet peers. But for the ANC, and South Africa, the bar is set very low, and it shows in the evidence.
Over the past 20 years SA's growth averaged 3% - not nearly enough - compared to our peers of above 5%. It missed the commodities and agricultural boom before 2008. Inequality and unemployment worsened, and we are at or near the bottom in many rankings, education the most significant.
Under their oversight spending and debt spiralled to 50% GDP, and waste, corruption, incompetence and inefficiency throughout state institutions increased to the almost complete capture of the state by "forces" Gordan himself warns about and wants our protection against.
But, as Onselen notes, Gordhan dramatically and arrogantly dismissed the DA's - voter representatives - suggested amendments to our budget.
Representing the top treasury official in a revolutionary party intent on redistribution - that is, to ANC members and business cronies - without growth, does he understand what is needed for growth and development?
This week Peter Attard Montalto wrote there is a "lack of politics and leadership", including by Gordhan, that is not producing the action plans and "deliverables" promised during his roadshow.
Van Onselen's column is a timely reminder amid the rumours of arrests and alleged persecution that Gordhan is not, and has never been, the economic or political saviour SA seeks.
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