Once again, the South African government is vacillating between two competing interests: maintaining popular support and fostering economic growth. Late Dec. 9, South African President Jacob Zuma replaced Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, who was appointed to the job in May 2014, with David van Rooyen, a ruling party member of parliament from Merafong, a municipality west of Johannesburg. The appointment caused the value of the rand, already at record lows this year, to plummet even further, dropping from roughly 14.8 rand to the U.S. dollar to 16 rand by Dec. 11. Digging In for a Fight The reshuffle comes as South Africa faces a stagnant economy and significant political and labor challenges that will persist for at least another year.