Amidst finance minister shuffles, SA Twitter still has a sense of humour

Pravin Gordhan
G-24 Chairman and South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan convenes the Group of 24 Minister's meeting at the IMF's Headquarters October 7, 2010 in Washington, DC. Finance Ministers and Bank Governors around the world will be attending the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings this weekend in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photo/Michael Spilotro

Life in South Africa may be many things, but boring is not one of them. You only have to look at the fact that the country’s had three finance ministers in less than a week. Yup, just four days after President Jacob Zuma’s shock axing of Nhlanhla Nene, his replacement David van Rooyen found himself out of a job, with Pravin Gordhan back in charge of the treasury.

President Zuma made the announcement on Sunday night, with a statement saying that he had “received many representations to reconsider my decision”.

“As a democratic government,” he added, “we emphasise the importance of listening to the people and to respond to their views”.

As well as returning Gordhan to a portfolio he had occupied between 2009 and 2014, Zuma redeployed van Rooyen to the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

The Rand, which had collapsed in the wake of Nene’s firing, rebounded strongly on news of Gordhan’s return. While market analysts were cautiously optimistic, they cautioned that the currency could still waver. One thing that hasn’t wavered in the past week however is South African Twitter’s ability to tell a joke in the face of adversity.

Here are some of the best reactions to Sunday night’s news:

Featured Image: International Monetary Fund.

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