Politics.za

Whoa! Finally a high ranking government official, Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni, has finally stated the obvious: Zimbabwe is not getting better despite Thabo Mbeki repeatedly telling us that silent diplomacy is working and a negotiated end to the economic woes is just around the corner.

Mboweni also said Zimbabwe’s seizure of white-owned farms by government-backed militia in neighbouring Zimbabwe was “a total disaster,” and that successful economies demanded that governments respect property rights.

“Things are beginning to move from bad to worse,” Mboweni said.

And with that talk about respecting property rights you’d think he was in the Thatcher administration rather than being a member of a socialist leaning party?

Moneyweb has two opinion pieces today on possible presidential contenders. Barry Sergeant writes about Tito Mboweni calling him ‘Zuma’s Nemesis’. Mboweni has long been put forward as a potential contender by many who have been impressed by his governorship of the Reserve Bank. It’s a logical choice considering that Trevor Manuel still insists he doesn’t want the top job (which we’re still in denial about by the way), as people look to the next ‘fiscally conservative’ ANC politician in line. Should it be absolutely certain that Manuel has no chance of attaining leadership of the ANC, and therefore leasdership of the country, then I don’t see any obvious reasons why Mboweni would be an unsuitable candidate.

A more suprising choice, in a piece authored by veteran business journalist Alec Hogg, is Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula. Alec gushes over Nqakula saying that ‘Like [Trevor] Manuel, the latent talent is obvious.’ and claims that those within the ANC consider him a very serious contender.

Now what’s interesting about Nqakula is that he is Chairman of the SACP which means that the SACP should be putting their support behind him instead of Jacob Zuma.

First we had Trevor Manuel telling the unemployed to get a job already, and now Tito Mboweni is telling some business leaders to quit yapping about the Rand being too strong and “learn to live with reality”. Free market and all that.

Next thing you know Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma is going to start quoting Ayn Rand in parliament.