ZUMA - A PATSY FOR THE GUPTA CONGLOMERATE

President Zuma's appointment of Des van Rooyen as finance minister was the equivalent of an uncontrolled wild fire with devastating results. Fortunately Zuma bowed to pressure, but too late to forestall further harm to the country's already fragile economic landscape. By all accounts, Zuma appointed van Rooyen without consulting senior members of his cabinet, or any Luthuli House comrades. He apparently followed the same course when appointing Mosibenzi Zwane to the cabinet post of mineral resources minister. Zuma, as president, has the unfettered right to appoint various officials, including cabinet ministers, listed in the Constitution. He is vested with constitutional power to independently do so, and has not been circumspect in exercising his prerogative. Therein lies the problem - Van Rooyen and Zwane's ministerial appointments were not based on the calibre of their credentials - they had none for their respective posts, but rather on alleged Gupta family influence. Even the ANC secretary-general recently expressed the need to "deal decisively" with "people outside the state" impacting on government decisions. In fairness, the drafters of the Constitution could not have predicted presidential power appointment abuse now evident. In hindsight, a system of checks and balances should have been included to vet presidential nominees. Amending the Constitution to now do so would seem to be a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. In any event, the political will to amend the Constitution is not on the cards, if at all. One more reason for the rot to continue.