A friend you can bank on

FROM Free State agriculture MEC to mining minister and now general know-it-all about banking, Mosebenzi Zwane has certainly earned his Mampara stripes.

This week, the minister, who is understood to be close to the Guptas, outdid himself. His statement that the cabinet had decided on a commission of inquiry to find out why the banks had pulled the plug on his mates’ accounts at their Oakbay holding company caused a flurry of confusion, and it was left to the Presidency to put the Mampara to rights.

The resolution, such as it is, was issued by the interministerial team set up to probe why the banks had closed the accounts. With Mamparas like this making big decisions, is it any wonder we’re headed for junk status?