'Chair man' Nene appointed Manuel's deputy

Newly appointed Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla . Nene has developed an understandable but strange, phobia for chairs, it seems, having hesitated a little to sit during his swearing-in ceremony until Chief Justice Pius Langa ordered him to "sit down!".
Langa's comment triggered rapturous, hearty laughter from President Kgalema Motlanthe, cabinet ministers, government officials, family members and journalists who came to witness the swearing-in of Nene, new Deputy Education Minister Andre Gaum and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Fatima Hajaig at the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday. Nene shot to fame when he fell from his chair during a live television broadcast, with comical video clips of the incident becoming an instant hit on a website.
While everyone was in stitches over Judge Langa's instructions to Nene, an SABC journalist sarcastically asked who made the chair the deputy finance minister was so hesitant to sit on. He mockingly said he hoped that the chair wasn't an artistic product of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, who failed woodcraft in matric.
While political parties have welcomed Nene's appointment, some needed the "chair man" reminder to remember the new finance deputy minister, who replaces Jabu Moleketi. Having waggled their memories, opposition MPs were full of praises for the work Nene has done as chairperson of the finance committee.
Cosatu also backed Nene, saying he has "proved himself to be positive, open-minded and willing to debate issues rather than trying to impose a rigid ideological view".
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi told The Star that he was "very satisfied" with Nene's appointment after they were "extensively consulted".
And lest Nene forgets which side his bread is buttered, Cosatu reminded him of working towards "implementing the economic policies adopted in the resolutions of the ANC's Polokwane conference and the alliance summit meetings".
The Democratic Alliance's Kobus Marais noted that Nene has "always gone out of his way to accommodate opposition party views during committee deliberations".
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said the appointment of Nene was a good move. "He (Nene) seems to know his stuff and he is sure to keep cabinet entertained in the remaining months of its term."
Independent Democratic leader Patricia de Lille said although the appointments were for a "very short period", she hoped they would provide a much-needed "boost to service delivery in these important portfolios, particularly in education".

By Deon de Lange