From a article in The Economist
A new and probably stopgap president picks some good new ministers
A WEEK into the job, Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa’s new president, made a good start. Right after his election by Parliament and after being sworn in, he filled the gaps left by several ministers who resigned after Thabo Mbeki, Mr Motlanthe’s predecessor, was ousted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC). His appointments have been welcomed. Now he probably has six months before a general election, expected in April, to heal the rift in the party and to show he can run a government better than Mr Mbeki did.
Markets sighed with relief when Trevor Manuel, the trusty finance minister, was reappointed, though his deputy and heir-apparent, Jabu Moleketi, decided to leave for good. Mr Manuel has been the architect of South Africa’s good macroeconomic performance and fiscal discipline. So his reappointment goes some way to assuage fears that the new ANC leadership under Jacob Zuma, expected to become president after the election, may veer left. Mr Zuma has repeatedly tried to reassure business at home and abroad that economic policy would not change fundamentally, but his Communist and trade-union backers have other ideas. Most businessmen were happy to hear a few weeks ago that Tito Mboweni, the central-bank governor, would consider staying after his contract ends next year. ...
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