All these years later, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has failed to learn from Bowen’s mistake. He has misused and verballed his department, and been caught out.
The issue is not that a person has served “up the Hill” - something seen as desirable all round - but how long they’ve been there and how strongly identified they’ve become with one side of politics.
Phil Gaetjens, who has served as chief of staff to two Liberal treasurers, will now run the Treasury department, after the early resignation of the current secretary, John Fraser.
South Africa’s 2017 medium term budget reveals a growing gap between revenue and expenditure which places the country in a highly vulnerable financial state.
The framing of the prevailing political protests in South Africa shows too much focus on the role of individuals. This is dangerous in hearkening back to the flawed Great Man Theory.
A lot more goes into the making of South Africa’s final national budget than many people realise. The process involves extensive legalities designed to ensure public oversight.
A closer look into the latest financial numbers of South Africa’s state power utility, Eskom, suggest that it may be in a more vulnerable position than appreciated.
Recent political events suggest that South Africa is at a crossroad where it could either be tipped into a fully corrupted state or saved by multi-party plurality
Director of History & Policy at the Institute of Historical Research and Professor of British and Commonwealth History, School of Advanced Study, University of London