Durban - Politics is not a game for the faint-hearted and those going into it - “I wish them good luck”, former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene warned students during their graduation at the Mangosuthu University of Technology on Wednesday.
Nene was speaking at the MUT management science students’ graduation, where he was honoured for keeping the country on a strong financial path. He received an honorary doctorate.
Giving career advice, Nene urged the students not to shy away from the public sector, saying: “The challenge of rebuilding our country is enormous. It needs all hands on the deck. I would like to challenge you to consider working in the public sector.
“Some of you will go into politics, good luck,” he said to murmurs from the crowd, aware of the former minister’s ousting by President Jacob Zuma in December.
The reason given by President Zuma after the sacking, to placate an irate public and arrest a financial meltdown estimated at R500 billion, was that Nene had been nominated for a position at the Brics bank.
The Brics bank position never materialised and last week Nene started a job with Allan Gray.
Since then the issue has snowballed with allegations that the president’s close friends, the Gupta family, had a hand in Nene being dumped.
Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas confirmed that the Guptas had “offered” him the finance ministry job before Nene was removed, sparking more outrage.
That, combined with the Constitutional Court judgment that found that the President Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution, has led to growing public resentment, leading to calls for the president Zuma to resign.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Nene on Wednesday warned students not to obsess about riches at the expense of character, or to use corrupt means, or to pursue wealth without hard work, pleasure without conscience and politics without principles.
Nene, who appeared a trouble-free man as he chatted to journalists, even cracking jokes, still gave guarded answers on questions treading too close to the political arena.
He later told The Mercury that he wanted many young people to joint the public sector.
“The call is especially important considering the students graduating today - commerce students with diplomas in accounting. These kinds of skills tend to move towards the private sector, and the public sector still needs those skills.”
Asked whether he was permanently lost to the public sector, Nene said: “Never say never.”
He said there should be a link between the public and the private sectors and he hoped to provide that link.
Speaking of his new job, he said he had been receiving job offers since December “when I was removed”.
“I chose Allan Gray because I fitted their profile and they fitted my profile. I went to an induction on Monday last week and I have also attended management meetings,” he said.
Asked whether he has been in touch with President Zuma since he was removed, Nene said: “The president is a very busy man, I do not think he has the time to engage with every private citizen.”
He said he had no reason to suspect that the Brics job may have been bogus.
“The bank has its own processes to appointments and I have no reason to believe the offer was not real.”
The Mercury