Cabinet reshuffle likely to happen after month end, says Mashatile

ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has indicated that President Cyril Ramaphosa will likely make a decision on reshuffling his Cabinet after the end of the month.

Cabinet reshuffle

Mashatile says a decision on changes to the national executive is inevitable and will take place after the ordinary sitting of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) and the ANC NEC Lekgotla at the end of the month.

The meetings of the ANC’s highest decision-making body will be in preparation for the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Parliament on 9 February.

“We’re going to have the Lekgotla of the NEC, finalise the plans [and] once we are done; the president will then begin to look at where he should make changes,” said Mashatile.

He made the remarks on Sunday, while speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ANC’s January 8^th birthday celebrations at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Mangaung, Free State.

ALSO READ:  ANC commits to renewal project, but problem lies in quality of cadres

Ramaphosa has come under increasing pressure to reshuffle his Cabinet following his re-election as ANC president in December at the governing party’s 55^th elective conference in Nasrec.

Mashatile is poised to be sworn in as South Africa’s deputy president and take over from incumbent, David Mabuza, after he declined nomination for re-election from the conference floor.

Vacant Cabinet posts

While there are vacant posts in Cabinet like the position of minister of public service and administration, newly elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is also expected to leave his position as the minister of transport.

This is because his new role requires him to be full-time at the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg, Luthuli House.

RELATED: ANC will respect whatever decision Ramaphosa takes on Cabinet reshuffle, says Mbalula

Mashatile said the ANC didn’t want to rush Ramaphosa to make a decision on the reconfiguration of Cabinet.

“This is also necessitated by the fact that other comrades may leave. The secretary-general has to be full-time at Luthuli House, so at some point, he has to leave.

“The president will at that point begin to look at what to do next, but we thought we shouldn’t rush to make changes before we finalise our plans,” he said.

‘Watch this space’

Speaking to the media on Friday, at the ANC’s presidential golf day in Mangaung, Ramaphosa said he would not give in to media pressure to reshuffle his Cabinet.

He said he was still applying his mind on the changes to the executive.

“That is the most pre-eminent thing in your thoughts. Just obliterate that and wait for the moment when the president will have applied his mind and stop asking when is that going to happen.

“So relax. Have a cup of coffee, sit back and watch this space,” said Ramaphosa.

SACP slams Cabinet reshuffle talks

Meanwhile, the South African Communist Party (SACP) last week criticised Mbalula over his comments regarding a possible Cabinet reshuffle.

Speaking at the Joe Slovo commemoration event held in Soweto on Friday, SACP general-secretary Solly Mapaila slammed Mbalula, saying that conversations around a looming Cabinet reshuffle were being held without consulting the tripartite alliance.

“I hear comrade Fikile, he pronounces there are debates about the reshuffle of Cabinet. I do not know about that. I am general secretary of the SACP, where does he get that mandate?

“It is these things that are disrespectful to us. We will not accept these tendencies because why are we here? That somebody takes decisions on their own and imposes them on us? We are not that party. That time has come and passed,” he said.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe. Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa

NOW READ: SACP slams Cabinet reshuffle talks, Ramaphosa says he is ‘applying his mind’