Cape Town - Former Finance Minister reportedly resigned from Parliament a few days after being unceremoniously given the boot by President Jacob Zuma.
According to a City Press report Nene’s resignation was however only processed in January.
After his axing, the once-powerful Nene would have been an ordinary backbencher.
Read: Gordhan saves face for Zuma
His resignation has been confirmed by the Office of the Speaker, says City Press.
The spokesperson for National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete, Mandlakazi Sigcawu, reportedly told City Press: “I can confirm Minister Nene handed in his resignation in December 2015 and it was processed in January 2016”.
After becoming an MP for the African National Congress in 1999 Nene rose through the ANC’s ranks in Parliament, chairing the finace committee from 2002 to 2008, to serving as deputy finance minister from 2009 to 2014, before being appointed finance minister in mid-2014.
In December 2015, the president dropped a bombshell when he axed Nene, replacing him with little-known David van Rooyen.
President Jacob Zuma faced harsh criticism for the move, which saw stock plummet, the rand drop to an all-time low and senior ANC members openly speaking out against the finance ministry hijinx.
Just four days after his appointment van Rooyen was redeployed to a different position by President Zuma who then appointed Pravin Gordhan to his old portfolio as Finance Minister.
Read: Zuma: Nene move didn’t sink rand
In justifying Nene’s firing, Zuma said he had replaced “Mr Nhlanhla Nene as Minister of Finance, ahead of his deployment to another strategic position”.
The official line was that Nene was being nominated fto head the newly-formed BRICS Bank.
However, the Financial Mail this week quoted Nene as saying he has not received a formal offer to join the Brics bank.
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