Tito can turn things around

QUESTION: WHO IS IN CHARGE OF SA?

The Zuma/Ramaphosa regime change was never going to be easy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to accept Nhlanhla Nene’s resignation as finance minister and appoint former SA Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni in his stead is probably the best decision for SA in the current political landscape.

Mboweni brings not only integrity and respect to the finance department, but also political influence – exactly what this critical agency needs.

His appointment may prove to be a stroke of genius. Mboweni gained respect during his tenure in the Reserve Bank. He wasn’t in former president Jacob Zuma’s government, so remains untainted by that era’s disgraceful shenanigans.

It seems apparent that Mboweni’s appointment didn’t go according to script. Nene is one of the good guys. Yet he’s one of the first high-profile state capture casualties.

But Nene should rather be remembered as the finance minister who stood up against the Zuptas. He refused to sign a ludicrously expensive nuclear deal because it wasn’t in SA’s best interests. Ironically, this defiance ultimately led to his sacking by Zuma.

But, despite all this, Nene lied and that sadly tarnishes his integrity.

In the greater context, many analysts and ordinary people are incensed that Nene has been sacrificed on the altar of integrity, while other compromised ministers remain in Ramaphosa’s Cabinet. In most cases, their conduct was much worse than Nene’s questionable judgment.

They have revealed their deeply questionable integrity by not offering their resignations to the president. But then again, why would they? Ramaphosa would have fired them months ago if he had the political authority do so.

Is it not ironic that Ramaphosa accepted Nene’s resignation but kept Malusi Gigaba in his post as finance minister for months to present his final budget speech, before moving him to another portfolio?

This begs the question: who is in charge of SA? Is it the president, an ANC faction, or an ANC that’s so afraid of the Economic Freedom Fighters that it doesn’t want to give Julius Malema any ammunition to use against it in next year’s election? Or is it a combination? Whatever it is, it’s complicated and hurts our economy.

I appreciate Ramaphosa’s conundrum: he must keep the ANC “united” in the runup to the election, but he also needs to ensure that SA can afford the cost.

The transition between a Zuma regime and a Ramaphosa regime was never going to be easy. Some political analysts even predicted that it would be a miracle if the ANC survived in its present form.

I still have full confidence in Ramaphosa’s ability to change SA’s moral, ethical and economic growth trajectory; one of the building blocks to achieve this is having ministers with untarnished integrity.

This is why Mboweni’s appointment is the best decision for SA.

Ramaphosa has now also set a precedent that may make the future sacking of other ministers and officials easier if their integrity is questioned.