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Pravin Gordhan’s replacement, Malusi Gigaba, leaves the department of home affairs in the middle of a massive reform of migration policy.
The hallmarks of the new policy are to stop asylum seekers from entering society by housing them in new detention centres near the border – but also to create a long overdue regional work visa for lower-skilled migrant workers and traders.
The most Gigaba has said recently regarding economic affairs was when he accused “the global empire” of having a “regime-change agenda” against President Jacob Zuma.
This was in a speech defending the president during the failed vote of no confidence against him in November.
In defence of his boss, Gigaba cited similar conspiratorial theories to the ones Zuma apparently used as a justification for getting rid of Gordhan.
“At best, this motion [of no confidence] is merely about political point scoring. At worst, it is characteristic of the abhorrent ploys by the global empire and their local political hoodlums under guises of good governance, and defending the Constitution and the rule of law, to steal political power to defend, protect and advance their exclusive economic interests,” said Gigaba.
“The modus operandi remains the same [and is] driven by a cartel of global governments, local politicians, big global and domestic capital and corporations.
“At its heart, this is about the commercial interests of the rich and powerful who control the media and pay off local political actors, journalists and others in pursuit of their depraved agenda,” said the new minister of finance.
In that debate, Gigaba also referred to “so-called state capture” in reference to former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report.
This is in stark contrast to the seriousness with which Gordhan, former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas and Treasury director-general Lungisa Fuzile have treated the allegations in that report.
“Even if the state capture report is one third true, that should concern us,” said Gordhan on Friday.
Jonas also referred to the report as the clearest indication of what is happening to the South African state.
In an affidavit, Fuzile this week also relied on the State of Capture report to explain the refusal of a banking licence to the Gupta family-linked Vardospan’s bid to speed up the purchase of a bank.
Sifiso Buthelezi, the newly appointed deputy minister of finance is the reshuffle rumour that came true.
The economist and former chair of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) became a MP early last year and got appointed to the Finance Standing Committee, fueling rumours that he was destined for Mscebisi Jonas’ job.
