Our esteemed president, Jacob Zuma, is fast becoming Idi Amin-cum-Robert Mugabe.
He has a penchant for appointing his friends (and ex lovers) to cabinet positions or other high-ranking roles, and then protecting them despite their incompetence.
First off he laughed when asked why the taxpayer should pay millions on 'security' etc for his own private residence. About 2500 Ferraris worth!
Then it was asked why the Police Minister was colluding with criminal elements, and protecting other coppers who were doing the same.
This week it all came to a head.
The Finance Minister put his foot down, and chastised the SA Airways chairperson for entering into some incredibly dodgy refinancing scheme with Airbus, which would have put a lot of money into a middleman's pocket. (This is an airline which is extremely unprofitable, and relies on taxpayer handouts anyway)
Rumour is that Said Chairperson's son is a product of a tryst between her and Zuma.
Before that, the Finance Minister had criticised a proposed nuclear powerstation deal which was being brokered - apparently the Minister of Energy (another Zuma 'friend with benefits') had signed the deal worth trillions - without the Finance Minister's approval.
SA economy is in the tank, just downgraded to one-above-junk status.
So Zuma sacks the bloke.
And replaces him with a party-faithful whose sole claim to fame is running a very small town council so badly that rioters burned his house down and ran him out of town
Result?
R21 = £1 on November 23
Today it is R24.
This week will see much protesting.
One bit of dark humour, though.
A bunch of British tourists - here for the rugby 7s - sitting in the pub this week all watching their phones, muttering 'almost, almost...'
Then 'SIX PINTS PLEASE!'
Turns out they were waiting for the pound to hit 24 rands - the price of a pint - so they could send messages back 'home' that 'we are drinking at less than a pound a pint1'
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