Is the ANC playing Russian Roulette?

RUSSIAN Roulette is a potentially deadly game of chance where participants take turns firing a revolver loaded with one bullet at their head, without knowing whether the chamber is loaded or not. The game is often associated with recklessness, danger, and unpredictability.

- DOUGLAS GIBSON

A serious question may be: Is the ANC playing Russian Roulette in its relations with the USA?

There are many examples, but the most recent is the appointment of Mr Mcebisi Jonas, the highly regarded former deputy minister of Finance. Jonas has an excellent reputation, and he would be a good choice in ordinary circumstances.

But given the current relationship between South Africa and the USA, his appointment by President Ramaphosa is either deliberately provocative and reckless, or an indication that the president did not apply his mind to the matter, and was badly advised by his inner circle of cadre deployment specialists.

Of course, Jonas should have used his brains and said that he was highly flattered but was not the right person for the task, given his chairmanship of MTN, which has a huge financial interest in Iran, the USA's enemy No. 1.