Minister of electricity job just a temporary intervention, says Mbalula

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the new minister of electricity announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa will focus on load shedding – and once the problem has been solved, his job would be done.

He said ANC deputy-president Paul Mashatile would replace the outgoing Deputy President David Mabuza, although the final decision still lay with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Mashatile was deployed to parliament to prepare for elevation to the presidency.

“The minister of electricity is just an intervention, it’s not even related to the total reconfiguration of the government,” Mbalula said.

The new minister was questioned even within the ANC, after the Nasrec conference resolution on the reconfiguration of the government, including Eskom falling under the department of mineral resources and energy. Ramaphosa had clarified this was not a departure from that resolution.

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“We are clear on that – that the minister of electricity does not affect reconfiguration,” Mbalula said.

The president was looking at getting somebody with expertise, who would concentrate on how regulations and red tape impacted power generation.

The appointment would not affect the function of the department of public enterprises, which was responsible for state-owned enterprises – but the decision to transfer Eskom from public enterprises to mineral resources and energy would be implemented, as resolved by the ANC national conference last December.

Cabinet reshuffle

Mbalula also said there was no crisis around Mabuza as he has resigned. He will be replaced by Mashatile unless “something new” emerged.

The issue of Mabuza’s resignation had been resolved, but Ramaphosa had asked for a transition period, hence Mabuza was still in his position. The president would not necessarily choose the party’s deputy. But it was a practice within the ANC that the party’s deputy became the country’s deputy president and that has “not changed over the years”.

“So, your expectation that Mashatile will occupy that position is not far-fetched unless there is something new,” Mbalula said.

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He stressed that Mashatile would not be deployed to parliament merely to “warm the benches” but “we should read between the lines what is going to happen” to him, considering his swearing in as an MP.

Mashatile, former Gauteng MEC for economic development, former Joburg mayor Parks Tau, former KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala and ANC second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa were sworn in as ANC MPs with the apparent intention to deploy them into the Cabinet.

Consultation with ANC and Tripartite Alliance

The ANC national conference has resolved that there should be a reconfiguration of the government. In reconfiguring the government, there would be wide consultation with the ANC and the Tripartite Alliance, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party. The process would kick in prior to the president’s announcing his Cabinet reshuffle.

Ramaphosa was expected to announce the new Cabinet after events such as the ANC January 8 Statement, the State of the Nation Address and the budget speech.

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Everything should be finalised before the end of the month, including the Cabinet appointments.

“From there, obviously, we got all of these issues and have answers. We cannot have a situation where the leading government and the ruling party is hanging on to something that never have a conclusion,” Mbalula said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za