‘Night of the long knives’
Reshuffle not in SA’s best interests
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma received a backlash from political parties, including the ANC, for his controversial decision to axe Pravin Gordhan during a late night cabinet reshuffle on Thursday.
It was characterised as a purge, like the “Night of the Long Knives” in 1934 when the Nazi regime carried out extrajudicial killings of Hitler’s opponents. This resulted in his seizing absolute power in Germany.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the reshuffle was factional and would complete the capture of National Treasury by “nefarious forces”.
The National Freedom Party said it was a waste of time and of state resources: “It is driven by selfish ambitions and a Gupta mandate. Zuma has sold out this country very cheap (sic) and compromised quality with quantity.”
Labour federation Cosatu, which is in alliance with the ANC, said it would take time to “reflect and study” its implications, before giving a comprehensive response.
Cas Coovadia, managing director of the Banking Association of SA, said: “The actions of the president have put our country into turmoil, at a time the country is trying to come together to address the problems we face. We have no choice but to say this is not in the best interests of the country. We are left with little choice but to question the motives behind this action.
“The change in both finance and deputy finance ministers creates a loss of institutional knowledge and raises legitimate and alarming concerns of fiscal discipline, protection of institutions and state capture.”
Coovadia said the association had previously voiced its “deep concerns” over Zuma’s actions but “these have fallen on deaf ears”.
It said it objected “in the strongest possible terms”, adding Zuma’s actions “directly undermine the significant progress made in the last 18 months towards building confidence.
“These actions fly in the face of the imperative we all have to ensure political and policy certainty. The president’s actions place all South Africans at significant risk as a result of the fallout of any potential ratings downgrade.”
Road show
ANC stalwarts and veterans, who had been calling on Zuma to step down, said: “The recall of the Treasury team from the international (investment) road show and the subsequent firing of the Treasury leadership team, left uncertainty in the financial markets and was reflected in the decline in the value of the rand. 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.”
The ANC youth and women’s leagues, said they welcomed Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle. In announcing his decision to replace some ministers and deputies, Zuma said the move would enhance efficiency in his government.
ANCWL secretary-general Meokgo Matuba rallied behind the president, saying: “The ANCWL denounces the narrative driven by the opposition that the reshuffle is factional and causing panic that the country is in crisis. An ability to evaluate progress of the state and making adjustments where necessary is not a crisis but a fundamental attribute of good governance.”
Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday, Gordhan received rapturous applause when he called on the masses to mobilise against Zuma’s decision.