Zuma faces down open revolt, guts his Cabinet
Jacob Zuma’s reshuffle shock will have far-reaching consequences, with the rand falling sharply overnight and set to fall further
The country on Friday woke up to a new finance minister after President Jacob Zuma effected a far-reaching Cabinet reshuffle, with Malusi Gigaba replacing Pravin Gordhan. ANC MP Sfiso Buthelezi replaces Mcebisi Jonas as deputy finance minister. The rand weakened by 3%, from R12.80 to R13.35 when the news broke. It could weaken further when the news sinks in on Friday morning. The move follows a meeting of the ANC’s top six on Thursday night at which Zuma informed them of his decision. Gordhan’s removal is set to have far-reaching consequences for Zuma and the ANC. Gigaba is seen as a close ally of the president and is among his loyalists in the current Cabinet. But there was not much detail as the Presidency made the special announcement late on Thursday night. Zuma stepped back from his initial pick for finance minister at the request of his top five colleagues in the ANC — his initial choice was former Eskom boss Brian Molefe. Gordhan had not been told late last night that he had ...
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