Des van Rooyen was preoccupied with ‘authority’ as finance minister, inquiry told
Lungisa Fuzile said the short-lived finance minister refused to send out a media release on his appointment, which he thought strange
Former short-lived finance minister Des van Rooyen had an “excessive preoccupation with authority” when he was appointed, former Treasury director-general Lungisa Fuzile said on Thursday. Fuzile was testifying at the state-capture inquiry about the time Nhlanhla Nene was fired from the same position by then president Jacob Zuma. Nene was fired on December 9 2015 and replaced by Van Rooyen, who was an ANC backbencher in parliament. The move sent the rand and the economy into turmoil. Fuzile said that the day after Van Rooyen’s appointment he called the new minister requesting that he come to the Treasury department early to meet with Nene, who was leaving. He also suggested to Van Rooyen that he consider putting a media statement out. In response to the suggestion that Van Rooyen come in early, the new minister said he would come in his own time, Fuzile said. Van Rooyen also turned down the suggestion of sending out a statement, telling Fuzile that Treasury officials had a tendency t...
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