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

With growing calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to reshuffle his Cabinet following his re-election as ANC leader, the governing party’s top seven officials say they will respect whatever decision Ramaphosa takes relating to his national executive.

Cabinet reshuffle

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, along with the party’s first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane and second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa, briefed the media in Johannesburg, on Tuesday, on the state of readiness for the party’s upcoming events.

The looming Cabinet reshuffle was among the questions asked by journalists now that Ramaphosa received a fresh mandate from ANC branches to lead the party after his re-election for a second term at the ANC’s 55^th national conference in December.

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Mbalula, who serves as the minister of transport, said it was a given that Ramaphosa would reshuffle his Cabinet due to the number of vacancies in the executive.

He said in due time, the president will make his decision on whether to reshuffle his Cabinet.

Mbalula is expected to be positioned at the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg, Luthuli House, on a full-time basis while newly elected ANC deputy president, Paul Mashatile, is poised to be sworn in as South Africa’s deputy president.

According to Mbalula, the ANC will not dictate to Ramaphosa whom to appoint to Cabinet or fire, but they do expect him to consult the party and its alliance partners.

“There are a number of issues the president has got to consider as the head of Cabinet. He doesn’t have to go on a full-blown reshuffle or whatever… we come from a conference [and] there will be vacancies [and] implications that the president has got to apply his mind on working with the ANC.

“And at the end, the decision is his,” said Mbalula.

‘Ramaphosa has to apply his mind’

The ANC’s new secretary-general stressed that Ramaphosa has to apply his mind on his preferred ministers, saying if he doesn’t do so, he would be “reckless”.

“He will bring proposals to the ANC and at the end; the president has got to work with the package that he got. He’ll bring suggestions [and] apply his mind but at the end of the day, we understand in the ANC how issues of that nature are dealt with.”

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Mbalula said the ANC’s top seven officials did not want to “micro-manage” the president to a point where he could not take decisions.

He said the party wanted Ramaphosa to appoint ministers who are competent and not “sleeping on the job” as well as consider the gender balance of his ministers.

“The president has got our full support and the mandate of the ANC conference to think and decide on such matters. With due respect, in consultation with the party,” said Mbalula.

Mbalula added that the ANC’s highest decision-making body – the national executive committee (NEC) – will not be involved in picking the national executive.

“Not everybody when that decision is taken by the president after consultation will be happy. But we live by that and we don’t live to make everybody happy.

“The only thing that makes everybody happy is money and the president can’t be money and want to make all of us happy.”

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