As difficult and sad as it may be, unfortunately, President Cyril Ramaphosa has to accept finance minister Nhlanhla Nene’s request to relieve him of his duties.
Nene’s testimony at the Zondo commission revealed much information, good and bad. South Africans should respect the fact that he upheld ethical standards by refusing to sign off on the nuclear deal. Very few people had the courage or moral fibre to stand up against corruption at the time, not even Ramaphosa, who was deputy president and leader of government business.
But the revelation that Nene met the Gupta family while the Treasury was investigating them for wrongdoing indicates a lapse in judgment. More severe than meeting the family is the fact that Nene lied about it, which casts aspersions on his character.
The fact that Nene’s son received large investments from the Public Investment Corporation while his father was its chair should be unacceptable. Whether Nene played a part in making this possible or not, clearly there was a conflict of interest.
Nene’s request to be relieved from his duties is courageous and honourable. Accepting his request would be the right thing to do. This makes it clear that the ANC is compromised. What is Ramaphosa doing about cabinet ministers even more compromised than Nene such as Malusi Gigaba and Bathabile Dlamini? Why was he silent during the capture of the state, and what will SA do to hold him and the rest of the ANC accountable?
Mandisa Mbeki
Cape Town
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