I know we’re talking about this whole ‘cabinet reshuffle’ business quite a bit, and you’re welcome to bury your head in the sand and go about your business as usual, but some of us don’t have that luxury.

There have been plenty of crises in the past that have drummed up major unrest and anger, but few (if any) can rival the sheer brazenness of what we have just seen take place.

Depending on whose interests they serve reactions to the news have differed wildly, but let’s look at five somewhat angry quotes City Press have chosen as top of the pops.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane

It is Parliament that hired Jacob Zuma and it is Parliament that can fire him.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe

I’m very uncomfortable because areas where ministers do not perform have not been touched. ministers have been moved and the majority of them were good performing ministers. I’m very much uncomfortable with it.

Save South Africa

The cabinet reshuffle is a brazen attempt to undermine the gains of the liberation struggle by taking power away from the people and handing it over to a clique based in Dubai. It is therefore a Gupta coup and final confirmation – for those who needed it – that our president, our government and our country have been captured by compradors intent on destroying our democracy.

The South African Federation of Trade Unions

The announcement confirmed our worst fears that the country has now been plunged into its biggest crisis since 1994. We now have a government with no credibility, one which has surrendered power to powerful crony capitalist factions and delivered a slap in the face of millions of South Africans.

And given that this all took place just ahead of the dreaded April Fool’s Day, someone was bound to have a poke:

National Freedom Party head of communications Sabelo Sigudu

We consider these changes … an early April Fool’s joke. We believe he will wake up before it’s too late and redo the reshuffling – and fire all incompetent and useless people like Bathabile Dlamini, Faith Muthambi and Blade Nzimande. For now we consider this as an early April Fool’s game.

Well sorry chaps, but the time to write this one off as a silly little prank really has come and gone.

Before we go we’ll add this one from Pravin Gordhan himself:

Our souls are not for sale. We have our own brown bags that we use 4 carrying our clothes & things. And this country isn’t for sale.

Word.

[source:citypress]