ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his closing address after the 55th National Conference at Nasrec. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)
Johannesburg - A great deal of jostling for Cabinet posts has already begun among the newly-elected members of the governing ANC's national executive committee (NEC).
The Sunday Independent heard that during the NEC meeting on Friday to finalise preparations for the party's January 8 birthday celebration, held over the weekend in Bloemfontein in the Free State, there was an unprecedented push to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to play open cards on how he intended to chop and change his Cabinet.
Ramaphosa has the sole prerogative to make changes as and when he wishes. However, there are multiple interests that Ramaphosa will have to balance when making changes to his administration. His goal will be to maintain old loyalists who had fallen out of favour with the party's grassroots, bringing in some fresh blood, as well as fostering unity and regional diversity.
Traditionally, discussions over Cabinet appointments would involve the secretariat of the ANC's alliance partners in Cosatu, the SACP and Sanco. Consequently, the SACP's Solly Mapaila was livid at the weekend that the alliance was yet to be consulted while talk of a reshuffle was gaining momentum in the public domain.
Mapaila, speaking on the 27th anniversary of the death of struggle stalwart Joe Slovo, said premature debate on the reshuffle was disrespectful. It would hurt the still ongoing discussions on the reconfiguration of their alliance, he said.
As part of the reconfiguration debate, the alliance seeks to review the position of the ANC as the leader of the leftist bloc and to have the alliance as the final arbiter on matters related to deployments in governments.
Leading up to Friday’s NEC meeting, the new ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula had already added fuel to the fire, saying during a media briefing that it would be "reckless" for Ramaphosa to unnecessarily delay the announcement of the Cabinet reshuffle.
Mbalula said that in less than a year, the ANC is expected to win national and provincial elections that will determine its future, and those that Ramaphosa gave new responsibilities needed to be proven, hard workers. He said the time for Cabinet to carry deadwood was up and more inspiring young people should be tasked to take key government portfolios forward.
Ahead of the national conference last month, younger ANC leaders spoke about a generational agenda to revive the party and save it from electoral decline and possible loss of power in the coming 2024 general elections. The 80 NEC members elected at the conference feature a significant number of young people.
The NEC meeting on Friday heard that Ramaphosa needed to consult some more about the looming reshuffle. A person attending the meeting said there was an attempt to insert the "thorny" issue of the reshuffle into the agenda.
On the agenda, according to party national spokesperson Pule Mabe, the NEC was expected to have a soft conversation “and meet each other,” to make final inputs into the January 8 statement speech that Ramaphosa was due to present at the rally in Petrus Molemela stadium.
However, according to a source within the NEC, members asked to discuss who would be in the next Cabinet. NEC members from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo were mentioned as the lead instigators. According to the mole, the meeting collapsed because some members rejected “the agenda”.
“Look, there is a lot as the NEC we have talked about. There is no way that the president has to apply his mind to a pertinent issue like this one. He must consult us… and we are saying the time is now… he must reshuffle now… A party is a party… we are all here to celebrate, but this is it,” said the insider.
Ramaphosa is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet as the President of the country following the 55th national elective conference where scores of ministers were shown the door by the more than 4 000 delegates attending the conference.
Among those ministers excluded in the new NEC are Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor, all of whom may have to be replaced by new members of the NEC.
It is expected that Deputy President David Mabuza would be among the first to pack his bags after former ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile was elected the new deputy president of the ANC at the party's national elective conference last month.
Mbalula would also have to step down from his position as Minister of Transport because his newly-assigned position is full-time.
Ramaphosa refused to comment when asked about the reshuffle, asking the country to be in his confidence. He pleaded with the media and with the public to hold their horses and wait for "the president" to apply his mind before announcing anything.
“I think that is the most prominent thing in your thoughts. Just obliterate that and wait for the moment when the President will have applied his mind. And stop asking when that is going to happen. Just know that the President will apply his mind and, as always, will be coming to you all, to the nation to tell you what is going to happen. So relax, have a cup of coffee, and sit back and watch this space,” said Ramaphosa.