Hogarth: 27 February 2011

Hogarth knows no political allegiance and is equally impatient with ideological lunacy be it peddled by the left, the right or the centre.

Putting spokes in a spokesman's wheel

"MR (Jimmy) Manyi ... apologises unreservedly and calls on all concerned to use the consultation process on the (Employment Equity) Bill to achieve real transformation," deputy government spokesman Vusi Mona said in a statement opposing calls for Manyi's head after some injudicious comments he had made about the rights of coloured people.

"Meanwhile, concern has to be expressed about the fact that this issue has resurfaced, seemingly as part of a vendetta against Manyi, who was recently appointed as government spokesman - a cabinet decision that many have sought to undermine."

Manyi has hardly been out of his office twice and is already fighting for his job. Perhaps he should consider the wisdom of British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman, Andy Coulson, who left under a cloud, saying: "When a spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to move on."

Pain-killing upgrade

THE writing was on the wall when the defence force sent Madiba to a private hospital. Prime ministers and presidents white and black have been well treated at South Africa's once famous military hospitals for decades, but now the Bryntirion government estate in Pretoria is to get its own cabinet-members-only hospital as part of a major upgrade that includes a gym. Our leaders already have their own security and generators, so, be assured, they really won't feel your pain.

Room service

THE 15-month upgrade includes the First Family's residence, Mahlamba Ndlopfu, so brace yourself for some hefty hotel bills.

Shadow of its former self

AFTER two years on the wrong side of the aisle in the KwaZuma-Natal legislature, NotGatsha Buthelezi's dwindling IFP has realised that opposition is a job .

"As the province's official opposition, the IFP will be launching a shadow cabinet to enhance oversight over the KZN provincial government," the party said this week. And may we have our money back for the years in which they forgot to oppose?

Taking it on the chin

GAUTENG community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko told the men at a media briefing this week that she knew that 90% of them were abused by their wives.

"I'm aware that many of you sleep on couches, but you don't want to talk about it because you fear being laughed at," she sympathised.

You didn't need a calculator to work out that one-and-a-quarter men in the room was not a punchbag. But who?

Budget roulette

THINGS are tough at the Treasury, Hogarth hears, and Pravin Gordhan was scraping for pennies in the final hours before his Budget speech on Wednesday.

He just couldn't make ends meet, though, so the R50000 threshold announced in the broadsheet "People's Guide to Budget 2011" for the application of a new 15% tax on gambling winnings became R25000 in the speech, and Zuma's lunch money was covered.

Queen beats king

THERE is a political tradition that presidents and premiers listen in dutiful silence and take plenty of notes during debate on their annual state of the nation or province speeches. Not in Godzilleland.

Hogarth's man in the Cape reports that if premier Helen Zille was not pounding away at her cellphone, she was heckling her critics. When the ANC's Pierre Uys said the DA was a party of the wealthy, Godzille barked: "Just like the ANC and Kenny Kunene, the king of sushi."

Belated Valentine

MALUSI Gigaba, the currently unattached Minister of Public Enterprises and the Miss South Africa pageant's number one fan, who woos with convenience-store flowers, sent Hogarth a bunch of flowers signed "Yours conveniently" this week.

Hogarth must concede that this round goes to Gigaba.

Write to: hogarth@sundaytimes.co.za