CAPE TOWN, December 15 (ANA) – Newly appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen on Tuesday pleaded with South Africans to give him a chance.
“I fully agree that there is a need for us to restore confidence….what is key, I will urge South Africans to judge me by my performance,” Van Rooyen said during his first media briefing since his short four-day stint as finance minister, before being shuffled to his new portfolio following negative investor sentiment and the rand’s slump.
Van Rooyen, flanked by his two deputy ministers – Obed Bapela and Andries Nel – refused largely to dwell on the turmoil his unexpected appointment as finance minister caused.
“My interests for now and I want to urge all South Africans that our interests should be on focussing on the future. If possible, let’s avoid being stuck in the past,” he said.
“Nevertheless, I must indicate as a humble servant of the glorious movement called the African National Congress from an early age of 16 years, I’m ready to be deployed anywhere, at any time by this movement, even if it’s for two hours, even if it’s four days….”
– African News Agency (ANA)