Going…
Whichever way it was skinned, it had become increasingly obvious that the days of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in JZ’s cabinet were numbered. Like a little boy, the poor man was summoned to return from a meet-greet-and reassure-trip that he, his Deputy Mcebisi Jonas and a few industry titans had undertaken just last Sunday.
Going…
Whichever way it was skinned, it had become increasingly obvious that the days of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in JZ’s cabinet were numbered. Like a little boy, the poor man was summoned to return from a meet-greet-and reassure-trip that he, his Deputy Mcebisi Jonas and a few industry titans had undertaken just last Sunday.
…Going
Apparently, JZ was this time determined not to repeat the mistakes of December 2015 when he fired then Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and caused SA's economy to wobble like a drunkard. This time, after summons from London, the big man let it be known that Pravin would soon be unemployed. The markets, the Rand and the country held its breath.
Gone!
Then on Thursday 30 March, the Man from Nkandla lowered the boom. Gordan… out. Jonas… out. Add almost half of the cabinet and their deputy. Malusi Gigaba was moved from Home Affairs to Finance and that was that.
Junk
Or was it? The rating agency Standard & Poor’s swiftly (some say way too swiftly) downgraded SA's investment outlook to "junk". For the uninitiated, "junk status" basically means what it looks like – you invest in South Africa at your own risk and don't say you were not warned. S&P said that "you have to thank President Zuma for the downgrade", as we awaited word from Fitch and Moodys. If they too consign us to "junk" status, we shall be kind of like the BlackBerry phone. Remember how nice it used to be? But would you be caught dead with it today? …Didn't think so.
Sour Grapes
Meanwhile over at the ANC caucus, Mcebisi Jonas as an MP, joining former Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson and Transport Minister Dipuo Peters who have also resigned as ANC MPs. Be reminded that Ministers have to be fully constituted MPs in the National Assembly.
Killer Snake!
The myth that snakes can’t eat a grown man have been debunked. In Indonesia, farmer Akbar went missing on 26 March, after he left home to harvest palm oil and never. The poor lad was eventually found in the stomach of a reticulated python 7m long, after it was cut open! The only discordant note is that these snakes, some of which growing to 10m, don’t seem to ever eat those who keep them as pets, but pick on the poor guy who’s fetching water from a stream, etc. What a shame!
Article 50
Over on the most famous Island, Prime Minister Theresa May triggered the so-called Article 50, which is essentially a notice from her to “him” (the European Union), that they were through, and “so can we just divide up our assets already!” Be reminded that British citizens voted in a referendum to leave the EU last year, and have exactly two years from 29 March 2017, to sort out who gets what in the first ever “divorce” among the 28-member EU. There are fears that if France ever joins the UK on the outside, the union would be as good as dead, however mighty and vital Germany is.
Agonising
And finally over in Syria, the war of attrition continued this week, with allegations that President Bashar al Assad's fighter planes had unleashed bombs spiked with nerve gas killings scores of civilians, including many children who were seen seen frothing at the mouth and clutching their throats before dying the most agonising deaths. Syria and Russia are disputing the veracity of the argument. And who can blame them? Syria is currently the number one war theatre.
