Manuel: SA not in recession

Johannesburg - South Africa is not in a recession despite some economists saying so, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Thursday.

"No, we're not," Manuel said in an interview with SABC radio.

"I know that a number of economists that you speak to, say, 'we think that the third quarter might be revised downwards' - but the third quarter hasn't been revised downwards. Technically, we're not in a recession."

He said he realised there was "an argument, that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck, it probably is a recession, but in technical terms, we're not in a recession.

"We're not in recession yet, that's a very important point, we're not in a recession as we speak," said Manuel.

Manuel, at the start of the interview, jokingly referred to himself as "number four".

The ruling African National Congress released its national election list on Wednesday and Manuel was its number four candidate.

"Call me Number Four," he told radio host Tim Modise.

"Number Four, are you ready for us," replied Modise, before heading into a number of questions.

- Sapa