Ending lawlessness, electricity crisis must guide Ramaphosa if he reshuffles cabinet

South Africa’s dual crime and electricity crises will have to be top of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s mind ahead of a looming Cabinet reshuffle.

According to political analyst Prof. Andre Duvenhage, the portfolios responsible for energy and mineral resources as well as policing are in dire need of change.

The country has been battling an electricity crisis thanks to load shedding, while the issue of violent crimes remains problematic.

Some energy experts have raised serious concern about the alleged feud between Pravin Gordhan and Gwede Mantashe.

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Both of them are also known to be allies of Ramaphosa.

In recent weeks, Gordhan defended outgoing Eskom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andre De Ruyter after Mantashe likened the continued failings at the power utility to an attempted coup of the government.

Speaking to The Citizen, Duvenhage said the portfolios headed by Mantashe, Gordhan, and Bheki Cele are extremely problematic and require urgent intervention.

“In terms of policing and law and order, I don’t think Cele performed very well and the same can be said about the departments of Public Enterprise and Mineral Resources and Energy headed by Mantashe and Gordhan, respectively.

“When one look at other individuals, we can expect that people like Lindiwe Sisulu and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma won’t be in a very strong position and as a result, I think they might not feature in the new look cabinet,” said Duvenhage.

Dlamini-Zuma made headlines on the eve of the African National Congress’ (ANC) national elective conference a few weeks ago, when she voted yes for the adoption of the Phala Phala report where Ramaphosa is implicated.

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Duvenhage says while he is of the opinion Ramaphosa will strengthen his fight against corruption, he is not sure if his (Ramaphosa’s) position in the ANC will be strong enough to carry all these processes through.

“I think the ANC is in a difficult position, they need to prepare for the 2024 general election and they will without any doubt take a lot of popular decisions and the president is likely to align himself with his support base,” Duvenhage added.

Another political analyst Dr. Ntsikelelo Breakfast also stressed that the Cabinet reshuffle is more than necessary.

“I think Ramaphosa is most likely going to use a political survival strategy in a bid to consolidate his position within the ANC.

“He (Ramaphosa) is also likely going to reach out at those who lost out at Nasrec for the sake of unity, despite having trust issues with the likes of Dlamini-Zuma and Sisulu,” said Breakfast.

What about Mantashe and Gordhan?

“I think the President is going to apply his mind carefully around the energy situation considering the fact that Gordhan is one of his biggest supporters while Mantashe on the other hand is believed to have advised him otherwise when he was on the verge of resigning recently.

“The Transport minister vacancy will also have to be filled following the election of Fikile Mbalula as the secretary general of the ANC, a position he will now have to occupy on a full-time basis,” Breakfast added.