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Former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene has graciously accepted his sacking and says he is ready to take on a new task.
Nene told City Press that he has welcomed his fate with “a pure heart”, and even hinted that he would serve in whatever capacity the president wants him to.
“I’m a servant of the ANC and of this country. I get deployed and I go where I’m needed and do what is expected of me, and make sure I serve to the best of my ability,” he said yesterday.
There has been talk that Nene may, in retaliation for the way he was fired, refuse to take up a post as head of the African branch of the Brics Development Bank, which is still in its formation stage. The bank will be based in Johannesburg.
But Nene said all that was just talk and that he was waiting to hear the final decision on his redeployment.
Government officials insist that he was not “fired”, but would be deployed to the Brics Bank. They believe that he is almost certain to get the nod for the post.
Nene even joked about his title as a former minister, saying people would have to get used to it.
His colleagues have been unhappy with his sacking and have questioned Zuma’s decision to remove such an efficient minister during such an unfavourable economic environment. The public has also reacted with shock at Zuma dumping Nene for David “Des” van Rooyen, who was sworn in on Thursday.
Nene made it clear he did not want to talk about his successor because it would be unfair.
When asked how he felt about the outcry from other Cabinet ministers, Nene said: “I don’t know how I feel because if it had happened to one of my colleagues, I would also feel sad because you get used to working closely with someone and the next thing he is gone.”
