Pretoria: News24 reported that South African finance minister Nhlanhla Nene had asked President Cyril Ramaphosa “to relieve him of his duties” over the weekend. This followed Nene’s admission at the Zondo Commission that he met with the Gupta Brothers at various times while he was deputy minister and minister of finance. Contradicting his previous comments that he only bumped into the Guptas “at public gatherings once or twice”, Nene admitted that he visited their Saxonwold compound four times. This was part of his efforts to “engage with different stakeholders in the economy.” One of the visits took place even after National Treasury undertook to investigate the Gupta family for the Vrede dairy farm deal with the Free State government.
“Part of my duty as a public office bearer is to meet fellow South Africans and other stakeholders when they request to do so. However, I was wrong in meeting the Guptas at their residence and not in my office, or at least a public place. I should also have disclosed early, and fully, the details of these meetings, in particular those that took place in Saxonwold,” Nene said in a statement following his testimony.
A further revelation has added to pressure on Nene: the Mail & Guardian reported that his son, Siyabonga Nene, asked the Public Investment Corporation to finance a huge investment in Mozambique. While the deal was not for Nene Junior's own benefit, the PIC went to great lengths to assist his business partner.
Top contenders
Should he accept Nene’s offer to leave, Ramaphosa, who also needs to announce a new environmental affairs minister following the death of Edna Molewa, could use the occasion for a cabinet reshuffle. He could move public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan back to his old position as finance minister, but this is unlikely: Gordhan has his hands full with parastatal chaos. Also, the public enterprises director-general Richard Seleke has just resigned.
Alternatively, former ANC’s treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, currently minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, could be moved to the finance portfolio. Other top contenders are: Barbara Creecy, Mcebisi Jonas, the Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyagowas and Daniel Mminele .
