Pretoria - The EFF says the redeployment of Pravin Gordhan to the ministry of finance proves that South Africa is a joke.

"The reappointment of Pravin Gordhan as finance minister by Zuma is an official admission that we truly are [a] joke as South Africa. Effectively, the country has had three finance ministers in one week. If anyone still does not think we are in a Banana Republic, they cannot be helped," the party said in a statement.

"No amount of explanation can save the ANC from the embarrassment and the joke they have put the entire country through."

The Presidency confirmed on Sunday that the two ministers would be swapping seats. David van Rooyen was appointed on Wednesday and sworn on Thursday after Nhlanhla Nene was shown the door. His appointment sent the markets tumbling resulting in the rand plummeting to its lowest mark in years.

Gordhan was minister of co-operative governance.

- Read more: SA reels from three finance ministers in one week

The EFF called for the resignation of Zuma before he could inflict further damage to the country.

"The EFF calls for the immediate resignation of Zuma before he plunges the country into a deeper crisis. Zuma is a humiliation and disaster for South Africa, who prioritises personal aspirations at the expense of the country. The ruling party should now appreciate that the country is more important than the personal interests of one individual."