The Democratic Alliance (DA) called President Jacob Zuma’s firing of Nhanhla Nene’s “reckless and dangerous”. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it showed a “pathological crisis in the leadership” and described the finance minister’s replacement‚ David van Rooyen‚ as an “unknown‚ inexperienced‚ sophomore”.The Congress of the People (Cope) said “ideally‚ it is Zuma who should have been axed”.The major opposition parties condemned the surprise news of Nene’s removal‚ saying it would damage an already fragile economy.They all said Nene’s fall from Cabinet grace was down to his insistence on cutting government spending.“Accompanied by no reasons for such a drastic move‚ one can only conclude that tonight’s action is yet another example of how president Zuma puts himself first and the country second‚” said DA leader Mmusi Maimane.“It is common knowledge that Nene sought to reign in excessive government spending and was causing too much of a blockage for Zuma in respect of the nuclear procurement deal and (South African Airways (SAA).“President Zuma has made one thing very clear tonight: if you stand in my way as finance minister and seek to introduce fiscal prudence‚ you will find yourself redeployed and cast aside.”The EFF’s national spokesperson‚ Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi‚ said Zuma picked Van Rooyen as the new finance minister as he would be pliant‚ and “will be prepared to even approve further upgrades to Zuma’s Nkandla home by putting a private zoo that has exotic animals like domesticated tigers”.“Zuma has appointed him because he knows that Van Rooyen will not stand up to him when he wants to do wrong things. Van Rooyen will be so eternally grateful‚ absolutely starstruck that anything Zuma asks for will go‚” Ndlozi said.“The EFF has it on record that Nene has been moved because he refused illegal instructions from Zuma and his friends in both business and state-owned enterprises. Nene refused to give South African Airways (SAA) guarantees and bailout when Zuma’s girlfriend and chairperson of the board requested it.”Zuma is rumoured to have had a romantic relationship with SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni.Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem questioned the role Myeni played in Nene’s axing.“Was this an act of vengeance on the part of Zuma because of Nene’s insistence that SAA lease the aircraft as per prior arrangement?” he said.“How big a role did his crossing of swords with Myeni play in this firing of the minister? With Zuma‚ country never comes first. We entertain huge suspicion on this matter.”..