South African senior treasury official Michael Sachs has resigned.
News of the budget chief's resignation sent jitters through the country on Monday and coincided with reports about alleged interference in the budget process.
TimesLIVE confirmed the resignation on Monday.
President Jacob Zuma's budget-busting plan for free higher education – estimated to cost in the region of R40 billion – set off a flurry of panic among senior government officials‚ the Sunday Times reported. The plan led to threats by some‚ including Sachs‚ to resign.
The newspaper reported that Zuma had allegedly ordered officials to implement massive budget cuts in order to fund the scheme‚ despite opposition from Treasury.