HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Phetshane’s paintings challenge perceptions that life is a numbers game
Tito Mboweni is back in government, and the markets like it. But how much? And for how long? Moreover, should financial indicators be the primary measure of one’s credibility? When the former Reserve Bank governor was announced as the new finance minister this week, the rand immediately gained 30c against the dollar. This was a nice pat on the back from that rather dubious “invisible hand”, but I doubt Mboweni would want a change in the exchange rate engraved on his tombstone. Neither punters nor economists seem to think much of his advocacy for a state bank and a sovereign wealth fund. Policy positions and the Treasury administration aside, under his watch the rand will no doubt fluctuate as it has previously done. Will he be expected to shoulder the blame when it slides? There is no question that the easiest indicators of a cabinet minister’s performance are quantitative; the statistics of lives saved or improved, jobs created and money sensibly spent can be used as either an indi...
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