confidentially speaking
The Africa Confidential Blog
Zuma emboldened
Blue Lines
Predictions that President Jacob
Zuma will redouble efforts to regain control over policy and patronage after
the African National Congress's losses in the municipal elections (see
Feature, Zuma carries on regardless) are fast proving accurate. On 22 August, Zuma loyalists said
they had expected him to announce a ministerial reshuffle, well ahead
of the ANC's special conference to pick its presidential candidate for
2019. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan
and Higher Education Minister Blade
Nzimande were said to be in danger. Both have clashed with Zuma.
Zuma's allies expect him to use a special committee to reassert
executive control over the management and budgets of state-owned
companies. This would allow him to overrule Gordhan's opposition to a
financing deal for South African
Airways proposed by Dudu Myeni,
a Zuma ally who chairs the airline's Board.
There are bigger projects at stake in this contest, such as Zuma's
support for multi-billion dollar contracts with Russian contractors to build nuclear
power stations. However improbable it looked in the wake of the ANC
election losses, Zuma and allies are pressing ahead. The Hawks, the
police investigative unit close to Zuma, summoned Gordhan on 25 August
and told journalists they were about to arrest him for setting up an
illegal surveillance unit when he ran the tax authority. As news
spread, the rand nosedived and talk of a financial ratings downgrade
revived. Duelling with Gordhan could prove Zuma's biggest gamble.