Treasury deals with dilemma ahead of trip
The minister will be attending meetings at the IMF and World Bank this week.
NEW Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba has had to deal with an unexpected dilemma ahead of his visit to the United States this week. On Tuesday the Treasury released a statement distancing itself from a department advisor.
Professor Chris Malikane is an academic at the Univeristy of the Witswatersrand, who said in an article published over the weekend, that ‘white monopoly capitalist establishments’ such as banks, insurers and mines should be nationalised.
The government stated in a response, “The views expressed in the opinion piece are not necessarily government policy. Professor Malikane is within his rights as an academic and an activist to contribute ideas to national discourse on any subject”.
Yesterday it was reported that Malikane would not retract the statements he made in the piece.
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On Wednesday, Gigaba said while addressing the media in Pretoria, that people should not be the worried by the controversial comments made by the economic adviser.
The minister said, “I have advised him to keep quiet and allow me to do my work. I cannot be the spokesperson to my adviser.”
Gigaba went on to say that Malikane’s role was to provide the ministry with technical advice, and that as the head of department, he ‘ultimately called the shots’.
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