POLITICAL DETACHMENT
SIMON LINCOLN READER: For the elite, nothing succeeds like excess of entitlement
People with a tenuous grasp of economics are handed credit cards, enabling the collision between status and irresponsible housekeeping
The latest example of political detachment in SA comes from Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Michael Masutha. Retained in the Cabinet through an act of strategic placation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Masutha might be less controversial than some of his Zuma-era colleagues but he remains an insufferably useless individual. Last week he declared that National Prosecuting Authority boss Shaun Abrahams enjoys his full confidence, despite Abrahams’s multiple shockers and general personality. There’s been a lot of this over the years. Most of the time it involves daft remarks, but then someone buys an unnecessary car or spends a fortune on take-away chicken or holes up in some pseudo-Roman mansion resorting to excuses like "hayfever" when scrutinised. So what compels someone to say something so stupid? Masutha isn’t thick like Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane or ANC deputy secretary Jessie Duarte, nor is he a particularly bad dude, in the way that ANC secretary-general...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.