Zuma sticks a knife in the country's back

[Daily Maverick] WEEKEND THING with JOHN STUPART Saturday, 1 April 2017 “Organise! The masses make history, not the individuals.” Pravin Gordhan PICTURE OF THE WEEK BY EPA/NIC BOTHMA South Africans protest against President Jacob Zuma's cabinet reshuffle outside parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, 31 March 2017. According to media reports on 31 March 2017, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma fired Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and appointed Malusi Gigaba as the new Finance Minister as part of a massive cabinet shuffle causing the Rand to plummet. THIS WEEK'S WRAP-UP [Zuma comes out the capture closet]( There was nothing subtle about this week's butchery of the state. At midnight on Thursday night, President Zuma shuffled a bushel of ministers and deputy ministers to enhance "efficiency". At the heart of it was the firing of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas. In doing so, Malusi Gigaba took the reins of the treasury and with it the vault door was cracked open for the president and his handlers to begin the looting. April looks set to be dominated by Russian nuclear deals and VR Laser meddlings in Denel. [Ahmed Kathrada passes away]( The shadow of Ahmed Kathrada, who passed away on Tuesday, cast long and looming over President Zuma's pilfering. So much so that the struggle stalwart's official memorial was postponed by the state without explanation. At his private funeral on Wednesday, several prominent ANC members were vocal against Zuma and the direction of the ANC. Now, with the country in a complete spiral towards kleptocracy, a little bit of money where the mouths were would be great. [Private marijuana use legalised]( The Western Cape High Court ruled on Friday that the growing and use of dagga for private individuals, in their own homes, was completely A-Okay. The landmark ruling paves the way for an amendment to current law and the official legalisation of the herb. For a state reeling from the gutting of the treasury, perhaps the ruling was aimed at a national damage-control strategy. [Obama to intervene in South African politics]( Former American President Barack Obama announced on April 1 that he will be assisting South Africa's political parties "do better". Outraged at the attempts by Zuma to pillage the country's coffers, Obama will step into the fray and fix everything. Running on a platform of stirring speeches and a gallery full of charming Instagram posts, Obama is hopeful that he can create change you can believe in. — FACT OF THE DAY Sean Connery was once pulled over for speeding by a Sergeant James Bond. EDITOR'S PICKS [TRAINSPOTTER: WAR]( By RICHARD POPLAK [Another Concourt battle looms for Zuma and Mbete]( By JILLIAN GREEN [Parliament: SAPS’s incredibly shrinking performance standards]( By MARIANNE MERTEN [Ahmed Kathrada, In Loving Memory]( By RANJENI MUNUSAMY — [Video of the week]( VIDEO OF THE WEEK [The Present]( By Jacob Frey IN OTHER NEWS The creator of Cards Against Humanity has resolved to stick it to the congressmen who are determined to strip Americans of their internet privacy. Max Temkin is so outraged at a Congress vote to allow service providers to sell user information to whomever they please, that he has vowed to purchase and publish the data of every single Congressman. [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2017 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome and on the Daily Maverick First Thing subscriber list. Keep up to date on all DM activities by [clicking here](. [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](