Zuma Says Axed Van Rooyen was “Most Qualified” for Finance Minister Job

PRETORIA – Almost as if he was trying to reignite a terrible fire, President Jacob Zuma told a room of journalists on Monday that Des van Rooyen, his short-lived choice for finance minister after he had inexplicably fired Nhlanhla Nene last year, was the best man for the job.

The statement could not have been worse timed. In less than 48 hours Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is meant to introduce a budget that will hopefully ease international financial jitters about South Africa and a looming demotion among ratings agencies to junk status, which Zuma’s firing of Nene had helped precipitate.

Zuma became infamous around the world in December for having three ministers of finance in five days, first firing Nene, then replacing him with Van Rooyen, who no one had ever heard of, then several days later replacing him with Pravin Gordhan.

Zuma said Van Rooyen was the “most highly qualified man” for the job, according to news reports. Describing his action in December, which sent the rand and local financial markets reeling, as “that thing that caused such havoc”, Zuma said Van Rooyen, who was was also a former MK operative and a soldier, was his “comrade”.

He was “a trained finance and economic comrade and more qualified than any minister I have ever appointed in the finance issue”, Zuma reportedly said.

One news report quoted Zuma as saying no one had taken the time to understand his decision.