It’s a case of ‘Back to the Future 2’ with Pravin Gordhan returning to Parliament as Finance Minister after a two-year break – a sequel that rises from the ashes of the near-calamitous shuffling of the portfolio by President Jacob Zuma between December 9 and 13. As with his last appearance, fiscal consolidation will be the theme. With a downgrade looming, there is absolutely no room for slippage, which means South Africans should prepare not only for expenditure cuts but also higher taxes.