The presentation of a national Budget is often a slightly strange affair; it is the prose of governance after what is supposed to be the poetry of the State of the Nation Address. Going into the speech, it was clear that the government's credibility was on the line, and, as the trite saying goes, hard decisions would have to be made.

It was a surprise to hear at least one economist suggest that on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana had announced the "biggest reforms since 1994". Not everyone agreed.

I was seated outside the Cape Town City Hall. I am also off coffee. Not drinking it. But writing about it. It was a hard realisation, upon rereading previous entries in my Reporter's Notebook (for entirely egotistical reasons) that virtually every piece submitted over the years, from rainy Nasrec to sunny Switzerland, has started with coffee, front and centre.

It's time to quit. I expect headaches, bad ones.

Before Godongwana rose to the podium, there was a strange question to ask the economic commentariat. It was this:

"Is this the hardest position a finance minister has been in since 1994 ... and didn't I ask the same question last year?"

It...