Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle delay ‘reinforces accusations that he is indecisive’

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s delay in announcing a Cabinet reshuffle could be due to his difficulty to filter the best find out of the ANC riff-raff that he himself created as former party chief deployer. He has no choice but to constitute the best people, experts say.

One expert said the delay could be because the president was trying to find new talented people who could deliver, including those from outside of the ANC.

No suitable candidates

Independent political analyst Sandile Swana said it’s no wonder that Ramaphosa has not yet finished his negotiations within the ANC about who he must appoint on his Cabinet because there were no suitable candidates.

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“Getting a top performing Cabinet from the rabble of the ANC must be difficult,” Swana said.

The expert was referring to the fact that, as then-deputy to former president Jacob Zuma, Ramaphosa chaired the party’s deployment committee.

Ramaphosa’s Cabinet ‘indecisive’

Another analyst, Daniel Silke, said the delay did not help the president because it reinforced the accusations that he was indecisive. He lost an opportunity to announce a new Cabinet before his State of the Nation Address.

Silke said it was possible Ramaphosa was trying to balance his executive with a mix of various formations within the tripartite alliance and trying to find skilled people with credibility.

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“The delay doesn’t look good. It will confirm the suspicion that there are difficulties in finding the right talent,” he said.

Swana dismissed the ANC practice that its deputy president should automatically become the country’s deputy president because there was no party unity on the matter.

“I’m not sure if everyone thinks the Paul Mashatile’s deputy presidency is a done deal. Ramaphosa may be wary,” Swana said.

He said the reshuffle announcement delay might be because of possible behind-the-scenes negotiations. On the pending appointment of a minister of electricity, the analyst said this may not be Ramaphosa’s decision, but an idea imposed on him from outside.

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“This three-way split of the energy sector may be coming from another quarter – even from big business who do not want [Energy Minister] Gwede Mantashe,” he said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za