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It took about an hour and 27 minutes for the first and only point of order to be raised during Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s budget speech on Wednesday afternoon. That’s almost as long as it took for President Jacob Zuma to be able to get a word in during his state of the nation address (Sona).
Naturally, it was an EFF-MP that raised the point of order. Towards the end of Gordhan’s speech, just after he had thanked Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, for the “guidance” they provided, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi jumped up.
“There is no guidance that Zuma gives,” he began.
“That is not a point of order,” said speaker Baleka Mbete, speaking over him.
Ndlozi sat down without raising any further points of order. His fellow members in red also remained seated. The whiteshirts were not called in.
About an hour and 27 minutes before, Gordhan had walked to the podium to a standing ovation. Jackson Mthembu, the ANC chief whip, was first on his feet. But after all the other parties had sat down, the EFF remained on their feet for a few seconds, still applauding.
As silence descended on the National Assembly, in the few moments before Gordhan began speaking, an imbongi in the public gallery, probably the same one who interrupted Zuma’s reply to the state of the nation debate, jumped up.
“Hey!” some of the EFF-MPs shouted and angrily gestured in the direction of the man, but he quickly completed his praise and sat down.
And then Gordhan began, but not with a “hê-hê-hê.... finally...”.
His predecessor, Des van Rooyen, was on his cellphone.
Zuma had a copy of the budget open in front him – although it was not printed in the customary large font. Derek Hanekom, minister of tourism sat upright, his hands folded around his knees, his body turned in Gordhan’s direction. During the state of the nation he had also sat like this – still, Stoic. But during Sona he had been looking straight ahead.
In similar vein to previous speeches, and those given by Nhlanhla Nene, Van Rooyen’s predecessor as finance minister, Gordhan’s teleprompters were hidden behind pot-plants. Van Rooyen never needed a teleprompter behind a pot-plant, because there was no time for a budget speech in the four days that he was finance minister.
Gordhan came across as very relaxed, sometimes begging his cabinet colleagues for more applause and cracking the occasional joke, like when he took a sip of water and said: “It’s just water, alcohol is too expensive now.”
Zuma mostly participated in the applause, even if it was only with the one hand resting on the book containing a copy of the speech.
There were also imbongis seated in the presidential gallery: Iqbal Survé and Mzwanele “Jimmy” Manyi. The latter is also a Gupta praise singer and Gordhan critic. He was furiously taking notes.
Trevor Manuel, former minister of finance, sat in the public gallery.
Peace reigned in the National Assembly. Most MPs listened to Gordhan while some, including Zuma and Malema, followed the typed speech.
The DA spokesperson on finance, David Maynier, spoke briefly with his leader, Mmusi Maimane, who afterward occupied himself with his cellphone.
Zuma took a golden Halls packet out his jacket’s pocket and offered one to Ramaphosa, before carefully removing the wrapper from his own piece. He rolled the paper into a little ball and put it on his desk.
John Steenhuisen, DA-chief whip, also spoke briefly to a frowning Maimane.
Gordhan said he would have thought Blade Nzimande, minister of higher education and training, would have jumped around a little bit after the announcement that more money would be available for higher education.
Nzimande nodded in his direction and laughed. The EFF then gestured to Nzimande that he was sleeping (he wasn’t) and Nzimande pointed an angry finger in their direction.
The only minister who wasn’t present was Lynne Brown, minister of public enterprises. Faith Muthambi, the minister of communications who was absent during Sona and the debate, was in her seat again.
Zuma and Ramaphosa laughed heartily when Gordhan said, after one of his announcements, “I thought you would applaud that.” Floyd Shivambu, EFF chief whip, nodded in sage agreement when Gordhan spoke about tax evasion.
Zuma put his chin on his hand when Gordhan spoke about the South African Revenue Service. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but all the ministers one would expect to find at the mythical Saxonwold Shebeen sit more or less next to each other in the National Assembly.
Van Rooyen was chatting to Muthambi, who he shares a bench with, and in the bench next to them Mosebenzi Zwane spoke to Nomvula Mokonyane.
In contrast to last year’s budget, when the Lindiwe Sisulu chocolate distribution network was running at full steam, no chocolate appeared out of her Burberry handbag this time around. During Sona she was dressed all in black, in mourning her husband, who had passed away in December, but on Wednesday she was her usual, colourful self.
“Ô-ô-ô,” the DA groaned when Gordhan referred to SAA.
Was it perhaps a late night in the Saxonwold Shebeen on Tuesday night? Mosebenzi Zwane gave a few long yawns. It looked as if Des van Rooyen’s eyelids were also getting heavy. He sat with his hands folded on his lap, his head gradually nodding closer to his chest, before suddenly shooting upright again.
Zuma, who had fallen asleep during Gordhan’s midterm budget speech in October, mostly looked wide awake as he followed the speech with one finger on the typed pages in front of him.
Speaking of the Saxonwold shebeen, there was no sign of Brian Molefe in the ANC’s benches, as he was not sworn in as predicted on Wednesday.
At 15:14, Zwane left the National Assembly. That’s considerably better than he managed during the midterm budget speech last year, when he only lasted about 34 minutes.
Zuma nodded in agreement and clapped hands when Gordhan said steps must be taken when corruption is discovered. Zuma also applauded when Gordhan said South African should claim accountability from everyone.
In the end, Gordhan finished his speech without once stumbling over his words, with just one point of order and with no appearance from the white shirts. He even pronounced numbers correctly.
When he left the podium everyone was on their feet again. Everyone except the Saxonwold Shebeen’s satellite office in the National Assembly. Van Rooyen, Lindiwe Zulu, David Mahlobo and Bathabile Dlamini were amongst the ministers who did not get up.
But Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma shook Gordhan’s hand, while smiling broadly.
Jan Gerber is a parliamentary reporter for City Press’s sister publication, Netwerk24
