Cape Town - Former cabinet minister Barbara Hogan has publicly hit out at President Jacob Zuma over the axing of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister.
“It was not right for me to speak out before. This is the first day I am saying enough is enough and no more. I appeal to people in the ANC to take our organisation back and rescue it from the thieves,” she said.
Hogan, who served as minister of health and later public enterprises minister in previous cabinets, was speaking at the Claremont Main Road Mosque on Friday, before Friday prayers.
The occasion was to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, which was on Wednesday.
Hogan, who spoke from the pulpit with her head covered by a tied black scarf, apologised to the congregation for her venting: “I do not like to speak in places of worship like this, but there are moments when we all feel constrained. We need to have conversations with ourselves,” she said.
“(This happened) on the day of anti-corruption. I’m talking about values here, I’m talking about political corruption. Our cabinet did not know our president decided to remove one of our most respected ministers of finance. The shock is enormous and felt even in the tripartite alliance,” she said.
Hogan said that Nene had a bigger challenge as finance minister than Trevor Manuel.
“We are not a prosperous country. The tax we are collecting is less. Nene wanted to cut down on lavish events and government over-spend. He battled with the SA Airways chairwoman who was doing her own thing. Not only did it leave SAA bankrupt, the government would have to spend billions.”
Hogan was referring to Dudu Myeni’s airbus deal, which Nene disapproved of.
“She is a friend of the president. He was removed within days. A line was crossed in our country, which is difficult to come back from. The rand has plunged. This has got everything to do with you and me.”
She cautioned that all South Africans will now be spending more on everything.
“We are spending more on import than export and we are paying for this is in dollars and euros. This is not just a travesty. The US Federal Reserve is considering increasing its interest rates and our president decided to remove our finance minister one week before this event.”
Hogan said that constitution-created organisations are being eroded of their power.
“That constitution was bequeathed to us by the (Nelson) Mandela generation. These are being destroyed by the president and his friends. We’ve seen what happened to the public prosecutor and the National Prosecuting Authority… The SA Revenue Service, a wonderful body, is so efficient. That is being wrecked. I have a creeping sense that something is rotten in the state of our nation.”
Hogan was concerned about new minister David van Rooyen’s capability: “Now we have a person appointed with little experience and will have to do what the president bids.
“It is deeply concerning. Are you demanding an explanation? Ask every branch secretary. We need to rescue our organisation from itself. Enough is enough, we should say, ‘You will not be corrupt’.”
Weekend Argus
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