When will we address the Pravin Gordhan mythology, exceptionalism or personality cult? It's been a curious phenomenon for me for some time now. Some now proclaim "I stand with PG" why really? Peter Bruce said he would take a bullet for him, Malema inverse version of kill for Zuma
Pravin Gordhan was good buddies with Jacob Zuma 2009-2012/13 at least. He didn't mind serving the man. Generally I question any grown adult that truly believed in JZ. But for PG as was with others, Zuma was also a convenient stepping stone to prime time politics...
In that time period 2009-2013 our public debt to GDP skyrocketed from 26.8% to 45.4% there about. PG was at the helm at Treasury and that's when the horse bolted. After that we were on a runaway train and Zuma et al's poor fiscal policies and discipline weren't being resisted
The reaistance to state capture by PG was not an act pf nobility but also a kove towards self preservation. But it's becoming quite clear that officials (the backbone of the instituion) at Treasury were now being vocal and dead clear that a nuclear project would paralysed us.
Nuclear was going to paralyse us because bad decision making had taken root for too long and compromised or killed prudent financial management and possibility for fiscal consolidation. By 2014 when PG is shifted, the damage has been done& he had been party to it.
What exceptional work has PG delivered to South Africa? Resisting state capture at a time of political convenience counts for something but it's very little in my books. What was PG's tenure like at COGTA? Not so great, no evidence of his impact.
What did PG achieve with SAA? He had a chance to deal with the malice at the parastatal when he moved SAA from DPE to be administered by Treasury when he was still Finance Minister. At some point Dudu Myeni ran rings around him but he eventually clamped her wings but what else?
SAA still remained non-compliant not tabling financial statements. The board waa not fulfilling its fiduciary duties and it didn't become clear as to why SAA was moved to Treasury's administration. When Ramaphosa moved PG to Public Enterprise (DPE) some pronounced him "The Fixer"
But he has broken more than he has fixed. Anyone without rose tinted glasses can see this. In fact the fellow appears at sea and not conversant, technically and otherwise with issues at the SOEs. But another trait is emerging. Pravin Gordhan is dishonest...
For the longest time he has relied on shadowy explanations to hide his own inadequacies. So explanations of a "fight back" without identifiable protagonists took centre stage. State capture became a deity to explain things away. But there was no clear evidence brought...
Now our SOEs are in complete collapse and Gordhan is nowhere to be seen acting. At SAA when he went to DPE he knew the problems, even if he was constrained to act when Minister of Finance but he knew the problems (I hope). With a new sheriff in town he had room to act but didn't
Instead he frustrated a competent CEO who had a plan into resignation. Jarana is PG's casualty. Jarana implicated that the shareholder interferes instead of playing its supportive part through financial capitalisation and political capital with unions to find middle ground.
That interfering shareholder was Gordhan. Busi Mavuso of BLSA, Eskom board member alluded to the same phenomenon. Shareholder interference at the expense of hard decisions to be taken. The politicians insisted "keep the lights on" so they could win 2019 elections. Dumb.
Well in those early days of Gordhan at Treasury when Eskom started being a money guzzler, he said nothing. Effectively being part of the crooked business relationship between Hitachi and Chancellor House. They all loved it, it generated funds for big bonanza election drives
Now we are here and Gordhan's leadership of SOEs inspires no confidence. They just appointed Professor Malegapuru Makgoba as Eskom interim board chairperson. What a disaster. How can they even back that decision? Even Mabuza was appointed Executive chairperson by PG et al.
I am certain PG participated in bringing together the January 2018 Eskom board that has dismally failed. They even okayed Sifiso Dabengwa who was part of the #CR17 fundraising committee. As if this would not induce a conflict of interests.
But PG and them keep soldiering on because of the naive and dishonest narrative that they are brilliant warriors battling a fightback. To be honest they are battling their own inadequacies and lack of imagination. They are battling their fears& political anxieties.
Pravin Gordhan has failed as a Minister. Yes, slme will call for his head to weaken Ramphosa politically. That's politics but they can't overshadow facts - that PG has had ample time to demonstrate his leadership mantle and has failed numerously. Their inaction is their failure.
It's time to be truthful. Gordhan can be retired and it will not make us any worse off as a country.
Ndisayo tshaya!
Ndisayo tshaya!
