All waiting to hear Budget – for different reasons
PRAVIN Gordhan, our maverick Minister of Finance, will deliver another Budget tomorrow to satisfy the aspirations of millions of South Africans.
The poor, the rich, the tenderpreneurs, the Guptas and not forgetting the army of unemployed will also be listening to the finance minister, hoping their wishes will be fulfilled. The Guptas will hope that more contracts will come their way with their minions placed in strategic state-owned enterprises to pass on lucrative contracts to them. The Guptas will continue to milk the taxpayer as long as President Jacob Zuma and son are connected to them.
The millions of people who eke out a living on social grants and government pensions will hope for an adequate increase.
Zuma along with his ANC parliamentarians will applaud Gordhan as he highlights parts of the Budget. There’s every possibility Zuma will fire him not long afterwards.
Gordhan is aware we cannot spend more than we collect from taxes. Vanity projects like the Commonwealth Games, the nuclear-build programme and rapid land redistribution cannot be sustained by decreasing tax revenues.
Gordhan will have to fall on his sword because of his principles of honesty, integrity and passion for his job. He won’t give way to thugs and members of the rogue gallery led by Number One to loot the Treasury and he will be poised to lose his portfolio.
Our history is littered with a few good men and women like Nhlanhla Nene and Barbara Hogan who were fired because they wouldn’t play ball with tenderpreneurs.
People like Dudu Myeni, Mosebenzi Zwane, Ace Magashule and others will keep their jobs while talented individuals are brushed aside.
The malaise is typical of a president who lacks numeracy skills, ethics and morality.
A clear lack of leadership is driving our country to despair.
The good news is that 2019 is not far off for the voters to red card the ruling party.
In the meantime, without Gordhan the country will wobble along with wholesale looting taking place.
PAKS PAKIRY
Durban North