Pres Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address is being done against the background of Moody’s and Fitch revising SA’s credit rating downwards. He cannot ignore the perception that the Treasure grip on Fiscal policy is less tight and without his full support during his term of Office so far.
For that reason the Treasury under the leadership of Min Pravin Gordhan must get his full support tomorrow to run a tighter Fiscal Framework and ensure that expenditure must come down and the State Wage Bill must be contained and remain under inflation for the next few years.
The Treasury under President Zuma (in contrast with the Mbeki era) is left on its own to fight for their own space and policies, it is time for the President to make it clear that he is in full support of the Treasury and that he will not tolerate bad spending and ineffective implementation. What he did in Limpopo, allowing the treasury to take control, he must do for SA!