Democracy and good governance require politicians to engage in reasoned debate, informed decision making and measured judgements. This presupposes rationality. Is this always true?
Malusi Gigaba has been appointed as South Africa’s finance minister.
EPA
South Africa’s energy sector is perhaps at its most fluid and unpredictable stage it has ever been in.
Jacob Zuma’s position has been weakened after an avalanche of criticism forced him to reverse his decision on a new finance minister.
Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko
South Africans are all poorer as a result of Jacob Zuma’s decision to replace his finance minister. But there maybe benefits too. The debacle suggests his grip on power has been weakened.
Pravin Gordhan is considered an independent mind. His return as South Africa’s finance minister will boost investor confidence.
EPA/Dai Kurokawa
South Africa has had three finance ministers in four days. President Jacob Zuma will live with the fall-out for the rest of his term. Markets have a long-term memory and won’t easily forget.
South African academics are extremely worried about President Jacob Zuma’s axing of the finance minister.
Reuters/Stefanie Loos
Academics from several South African universities say that in the current world economy decisions about any country’s finance minister cannot be made “lightly or capriciously”.
South Africa’s nuclear deal with Russia is part of the backdrop to the current crisis.
Reuters/Alexei Nikolsky
President Jacob Zuma’s era has been characterised by a high turnover, not only of cabinet members, but also senior public officials and executives in state-owned enterprises.
South Africa’s Justice Sisi Khampepe swears in David van Rooyen as the new Minister of Finance while President Jacob Zuma looks on.
EPA/Elmond Jiyane
The sudden expulsion of the finance minister makes it hard not to be pessimistic about the South African government’s ability to manage the difficult challenges it might face in 2016.
Nhlanhla Nene, South Africa’s former finance minister. President Zuma’s decision to fire him is irrational.
EPA/Nic Bothma
It is difficult to analyse political developments in South Africa. Decision-making does not fit any neat political science theory. President Zuma is unpredictable and his policy thinking is woolly.
The South African currency, the rand, fell to its lowest level in four years after President Jacob Zuma removed the country’s finance minister.
Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko
Credit rating agencies have come in for a lot of flack. But the bottom line is that to attract investors with deep pockets countries can’t avoid having a credit rating. And a good one at that.