Jacob Zuma Appoints Third Finance Minister of South Africa in a Week
By NORIMITSU ONISHI

JOHANNESBURG — Yielding to widening criticism of his leadership over South Africa’s ailing economy, President Jacob Zuma has removed a little-known lawmaker as finance minister just days after naming him to the post.

In a written announcement Sunday night, Mr. Zuma, who hours earlier had defiantly dismissed his critics before crowds of supporters, also reappointed as finance minister Pravin Gordhan, whose tenure in that position from 2009 to 2014 has been widely praised.

The abrupt announcement followed a weekend of intensifying calls, including from high-profile members of Mr. Zuma’s governing African National Congress and the party’s traditional allies, that Mr. Zuma reconsider his appointment of David van Rooyen as finance minister on Thursday.

The selection of Mr. van Rooyen, an A.N.C. lawmaker who has no experience in finance and was an unknown political figure nationally, led to a sudden drop in the rand, South Africa’s currency, and added to doubts among investors and credit rating agencies about the soundness of South Africa’s financial management.

The decision to replace Nhlanhla Nene with Mr. van Rooyen set off an avalanche of criticism that appeared to take Mr. Zuma by surprise.

Over the weekend, amid individual calls that Mr. Zuma resign, groups of leading academics, church leaders, politicians and labor leaders sent open letters to the president questioning his judgment and his stewardship over the economy.

The appointment of Mr. van Rooyen to one of the government’s most important positions was particularly reckless, they said, because South Africa was already reeling from the worldwide drop in the price of commodities and nearly slipped into a recession recently.

The South African Council of Churches called last week’s appointment “bordering on financially irresponsible,” and it said the move would “undoubtedly affect all South Africans‚ but the poor are likely to be hit hardest by the possible turn of events.”

On Sunday, speaking to crowds of A.N.C. supporters, Mr. Zuma dismissed the criticism as coming from “people who talk a lot on TV,” according to the local news media.

But later that night, Mr. Zuma’s office released a statement announcing the removal of Mr. van Rooyen. “I have received many representations to reconsider my decision,” Mr. Zuma said. “As a democratic government, we emphasize the importance of listening to the people and to respond to their views.”

The reappointment of Mr. Gordhan, who Mr. Zuma said would promote “fiscal discipline and prudence,” calmed investors on Monday morning and led to a partial recovery of the rand. But critics said the damage to South Africa’s reputation, and to Mr. Zuma, would be lasting.

“President Zuma has been playing Russian roulette with our economy and future as a country over the past five days,” the Democratic Alliance, the country’s main opposition party, said in a statement.

The second-biggest opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, said: “The country has had three finance ministers in one week. If anyone still does not think we are in a banana republic, they cannot be helped.”

Mr. Zuma, who is serving his second and last term in office, has overseen a government that has grown increasingly corrupt and has fueled widespread dissatisfaction in South Africa, including among many of the A.N.C.’s most loyal supporters.

Accused by critics of cronyism, Mr. Zuma has appointed allies with little experience to important positions in government and at state enterprises.

The recent reshuffling of finance ministers is believed to be related to a clash with the powerful chairwoman of South African Airways, the troubled national carrier. The airline’s chairwoman, Dudu Myeni, has been pushing for the purchase of 10 aircraft, a move that was opposed by Mr. Nene, who served as finance minister until last week.

Critics accused Mr. Zuma of abruptly removing Mr. Nene, who earned high praise during his year and a half as finance minister, and trying to replace him with the unknown Mr. van Rooyen as a way to facilitate the purchase of the aircraft.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, Mr. Gordhan hinted strongly that he would not budge from his predecessor’s opposition to the aircraft purchase.

Without naming any individual, he said some officials treat state enterprises “as if it’s a personal toy from which you can extract money when you feel like it,” and he called for “a bit of national reflection” about the management of national resources.

Ms. Myeni was appointed to the board of South Africa Airways in 2009, and she eventually became chairwoman, even though she had no experience working in the airline industry. Ms. Myeni, who also heads the Jacob G. Zuma Foundation, is regarded as very close to Mr. Zuma.

Over the weekend, as Mr. Zuma defended his initial appointment as finance minister and denied that it was linked to the airline’s management, he also directly addressed longstanding accusations that he had named Ms. Myeni to oversee the airline because they have been romantically involved.

“Her relationship with the president is purely professional, and is based on the running of the foundation,” Mr. Zuma’s office said. “Rumors about a romance and a child are baseless and are designed to cast aspersions on the president.”

5天換3財長 南非總統嚇壞市場

南非總統祖馬本月9日撤換廣受敬重的財長尼內，導致南非幣蘭德暴貶近9%，飽受批評的祖馬13日又宣布換掉4天前才上任的新財長范魯延，與協調治理暨傳統事務部長葛爾丹職務對調。祖馬在5天內換上第三位財長，領導能力受黨內外質疑，恐引發政治危機。

BBC報導，尼內遭撤換的原因是他不願批准以1000億美元建造幾座核電廠計畫。但法新社報導，祖馬被指控因為尼內公開反對國營的南非航空公司與空中巴士公司洽談租用飛機事宜，才將他撤換，而南非航空的女董事長杜杜．米耶尼與祖馬傳出緋聞。

已有4位妻子的祖馬12日罕見地正式發表聲明否認與米耶尼有染。

祖馬上周任命沒沒無聞的范魯延接任財長，導致德蘭劇貶近9%，貶至16蘭德兌1美元的歷史新低，銀行股也暴跌近20%，資金撤出南非。

南非「迴響報」報導，祖馬13日下午與政黨人士和民間代表召開危機處理會議，決定再換財長，由2009年到2014年擔任財長的葛爾丹回鍋。在宣布任命案後，蘭德14日早盤回升5%，銀行股也反彈12%。

蘭德商人銀行分析師凱恩斯指出：「市場歡迎葛爾丹回鍋，他在之前的財長任內做的不錯，但沒有理由預期上周的損失能全部收復，因為過去幾天已創造極大的不確定性。」而且美國即將升息，對南非等新興市場造成壓力。

祖馬2007年開始帶領執政黨南非民族議會，這次財長人選大翻盤，代表黨內的權力轉移。政論家哈特雷在蘭德每日郵報寫道：「這是祖馬黑暗的一天，他的權威顯然受限，對自認政治『強人』的祖馬來說，這是重大打擊，他在黨內的權力並非他以為的那麼大。」

南非明年將舉行地方選舉，執政黨在約翰尼斯堡等都會區面臨反對黨「民主聯盟」的激烈競爭。民主聯盟黨魁梅馬尼批評祖馬莽撞，「拿南非經濟玩俄羅斯輪盤。」

連執政黨的支持者都認為祖馬已失控。執政黨國會議員杜洛克說：「這也許不是他的喪鐘，但肯定改變了形勢。」

執政黨前衛生部長芭芭拉．霍根呼籲祖馬下台。渣打銀行分析師卡罕說，過去一周的風暴，「可能是2007年以來，祖馬首度受到黨內的強大壓力。」有5個城市將在16日舉行要求祖馬下台的遊行。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/world/africa/david-van-rooyen-south-africa-finance-minister-pravin-gordhan.html

Video：The new finance minister of South Africa, Pravin Gordhan, said that the government would move forward in a "fiscally responsible way" and earn the trust of the public.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/world/africa/100000004092311/new-finance-minister-in-south-africa.html

2015-12-15．聯合報．A3．話題．編譯田思怡