President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to wait until after the state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday to reshuffle the national executive.
Business Day reliably understands Ramaphosa believes a reshuffle will overshadow the Sona and has told some of his aides to only expect a cabinet shakeup in “in a about a week or two”.
This is in sharp contrast to what most around him said last week.
“He did say he wanted the reshuffle to coincide with a plan of action that he would announce at the Sona. But the president never committed to a date himself,” a source in his office said.
“The Sona was never a deadline he set or committed to. It’s others who have created the rush and hype around it,” another source in proximity to Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa’s decision to delay the cabinet reshuffle means he is expected to be flanked by Deputy President David Mabuza at the Sona, despite Mabuza having publicly announced at the weekend that he had already long offered to resign.
Also instead of the occasion being used to usher in a new administration, the Sona will be seen as Ramaphosa’s tolerance of poor performance and in some cases open defiance by some of his ministers.
A cabinet reshuffle was expected soon after the ANC’s change of guard at the party’s December national congress. The governing ANC itself announced that it expected serious consultations around a reshuffle at the end of January but this has not yet materialised.
The ANC also cleared the way for Ramaphosa to shuffle THE cabinet before the Sona after the resignation of at least four MPs and the swearing in of others who are expected to make it into Ramaphosa’s new executive.
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile was sworn in as an MP on Monday and is expected to assume office as Ramaphosa’s second in command in the government once Mabuza’s resignation is accepted.
Business Day also reliably understands former KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala is in line to become public service and administration minister, former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau is being considered for tourism minister and there is a strong lobby for recently elected ANC second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa to head up transport
This could, however, change significantly as Ramaphosa continues to apply his mind to the incoming cabinet and consult with the ANC and tripartite alliance — which includes the SACP and Cosatu.
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