Pres. Jacob Zuma is doing enormous damage to the country’s finances
23 May 2017
Whereas ex-minister Pravin Gordhan certainly had a difficult task trying to manage the country’s finances, it appears almost impossible to do so now given the country’s junk status, says adv. Anton Aberts, FF Plus chairperson and parliamentary spokesperson for finance.
With today’s budget vote debate of the Treasury in parliament, adv. Alberts told minister Malusi Gigaba that the irony lies in the fact that it is the country’s own president who put the economy on a downhill path like a runaway-train without brakes.
“This debate is different from the previous ones. Previously, I would offer minister Gordhan advice regarding important issues and he would obviously take heed. This year, however, we are not going to offer advice on how the government should spend its funds, because we know that the minister won’t pay any attention to what we say.
“We know that the captured cabinet has already made up its mind about how it is going to spend the money of tax payers and public service pensioners. We know that the minister will blindly steer the country closer to bankruptcy, without giving any notice to the damage caused.
“We know that the government will continue with its plans for nuclear power, full scale hydro-fracking in the Karoo, with the unaffordable National Health Insurance, financing projects for cadres with the Isibaya Fund of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) as well as using the GEPF to save bankrupt utility companies.
“The minister should, however, take note of the fact that the people of South Africa are being hurt in the process. The steady stream of tax money will eventually dry up as the public will simply start avoiding and evading taxes. What person in his right mind will keep giving money to a corrupt government that hides its real agenda behind racially divisive phrases like “white monopoly capital”?
“With regard to the minister’s agenda, there are various reasons to be suspicious of him. He is forked-tongued when he says that he wants to restore stability, because in the background we can clearly hear the opinion of his Marxist advisor, prof. Chris Malikane.
“The minister’s honesty is also questionable. In parliament, he said that Standard and Poor’s (S&P) made the decision to downgrade South Africa before he was appointed. Today we know that that is simply not true. I have a document in my hand stating that the decision was made on the 3rd of April and that is some time after the minister was appointed.
Therefore, the cabinet reshuffle had a distinct impact on the decision to downgrade South Africa and is a clear sign that markets are worried. Against this backdrop, one can simply not trust the minister’s sweet sounding statements regarding fiscal policy.
“This train is without brakes and the ANC government is going to derail in 2019. Fortunately, there is a coalition train standing ready to get the country back on track,” says adv. Alberts.
Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus chairperson and parliamentary spokesperson: Finance, 23 May 2017
