Former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas says being fired "was the greatest thing". Speaking at the Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum on Friday evening, Jonas delivered a scathing speech on state capture. "You not only have a weak state but a state that is completely illegitimate. It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable to be part of government," he said, calling out the architects of state capture for weakening the state’s credibility. Last year, Jonas and then finance minister Pravin Gordhan were fired in a late-night Cabinet reshuffle, along with nine ministers and nine deputy ministers.

The move saw SA being downgraded by all three credit rating agencies, the rand tank and business and consumer confidence hit lows last seen during the 2008 financial crisis. His firing came after Jonas revealed that he was offered R600m to follow orders relating to the procurement of a R1-trillion nuclear deal and the job of finance minister. Jonas said state capture had hollowed ou...

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