Ramaphosa will definitely announce a leaner cabinet – Khusela Diko

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said on eNCA on Monday that the president would definitely announce “a leaner” cabinet later this week.

On Sunday, the presidency issued a statement that Ramaphosa would announce his cabinet later this week – not on Monday as speculated in the media.

Diko said the delayed announcement was due to a number of considerations such as the fact that the president wanted to apply his mind and make a few consultations ahead of naming his cabinet. These considerations, Diko added, include the eligibility of candidates and the promise Ramaphosa has made of a smaller cabinet.

Diko said Ramaphosa would also consult with ANC officials and those of the governing party’s alliance partners.

“The deputy president of the African National Congress [David Mabuza] is not a member of parliament [MP] and the constitution is very clear that the president must select the deputy president from members of the National Assembly.

“So while deputy president Mabuza has not yet been sworn in he, unfortunately, is not eligible for cabinet,” Diko said.

Diko said she understood that Mabuza has requested that his swearing in as an MP be postponed and that once this was done, he would be eligible to be selected as deputy president.

Diko further said the president was concerned by Eskom chief executive officer Phakamani Hadebe’s resignation, which would be “a blow” to the entity which would affect the progress done so far in terms of stabilising and addressing issues plaguing the state-owned enterprise.

“But we have no doubt once cabinet has been appointed, stabilised, we will start the work to ensure that indeed we begin to reverse that backtrack we would have suffered in that regard,” Diko said.

On the day Ramaphosa announces his cabinet, he will sign into law the new ministerial handbook which Diko said was “part and parcel” of Ramaphosa’s thinking “of trimming any excess, taking off any fat, ensuring that Cabinet is able to function in a manner that breaks down silos, that ensures that there is integration in the work of government and definitely a smaller cabinet”.

“So when he announces the structure of Cabinet, he will also announce the people who then are going to fill those positions in Cabinet. The reconfiguration entails a reduced cabinet, I cannot tell you reduced in terms of how many positions that have been cut there but definitely a leaner and more efficient government,” Diko said.

Ramaphosa has not yet “expressed himself” over former president Jacob Zuma’s snub of his inauguration, Diko said, adding that a number of heads of state and former heads of state that were invited to the inauguration were not able to attend.

“I do know that former president Jacob Zuma was in contact with the director-general in the presidency to obviously indicate to him that he would not be available to attend.

“So it’s a pity, we would have loved to have the immediate past president at the inauguration but unfortunately due to circumstances he could not make it.”

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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