South Africans will soon learn who is the country’s electricity minister. Pictured is a DA-led march to Luthuli House over loadshedding. [Picture: Thulani Mbele/TimeLIVE]
South Africans will know who is the electricity minister when President Cyril Ramaphosa reconfigures his Cabinet on Monday evening. The president is expected to fill vacancies arising from resignations.
Ramaphosa had initially announced the appointment of an electricity minister during his state of the nation address (SONA) in February. The new minister in the Presidency will be tasked with addressing the nation’s debilitating energy crisis which has produced power cuts every day this year.
The much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle comes after a week of consultations between the president and the African National Congress’s (ANC) alliance partners SACP and COSATU. Ramaphosa was also believed to have been nursing a cold and attending a cattle auction.
“The president will announce the new national executive tomorrow, Monday 6 March, at 19:00,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, in a media briefing at the Union Buildings on Sunday.
Among those expected to take up ministerial posts include former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau, the ANC’s second deputy secretary general Maropene Ramokgopa and former KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala. The three were sworn in as MPs almost a month ago.
SMread: Civil society is keeping the country going
Changes
It is widely expected that recently-elected ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile will be appointed as Deputy President of the country. This after David Mabuza walked away with all the perks and a salary of R3 million despite not completing his term.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula will not retain his position in the Cabinet after being elected as the party’s secretary general in December. The position requires his full-time presence at Luthuli House.
Police minister Bheki Cele is reportedly being removed from the police portfolio. He is expected to be moved to State Security, which was placed directly under the Presidency in the last Cabinet reshuffle.
“Given the introduction of the electricity minister, which is also set to report directly to him, Ramaphosa believes it would make more sense for intelligence, which has been re-established to regain its standalone status,” insiders told News24.
Presidency head of investment and infrastructure Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s name has come up for electricity minister, according to reports.
SMread: ConCourt dismisses Ramaphosa’s application
Cattle auction at Phala Phala
Pictures emerged of the president at his Phala Phala farm for an auction on Friday night. This sparked criticism for the delay in crucial appointments while attending to personal matters.
But Ramaphosa’s spokesperson dismissed the notion that the president had abandoned his duties.
“Throughout this week, the president has been attending to his duties and, despite having a … cold, he continued consultations on the forthcoming changes to his executive,” said Magwenya.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen accused Ramaphosa of prioritising personal interests over the interest of the nation.
“We have a president who is too sick to make changes to his Cabinet but not too ill to have dinner at his Phala Phala farm,” said Steenhuisen.
Attempting to clear the air, Magwenya said “the dates for this event were scheduled months ago” and clarified that “President Ramaphosa did not attend the auction itself.”
The last time Ramaphosa reshuffled his Cabinet was in August 2021 in the wake of the July unrest.
https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/government/crucial-changes-in-cabinet-reshuffle-mashatile-in-for-mabuza-first-electricity-minister-20230306
