Nzimande axing ‘is unlikely’

As presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma prepares herself to be sworn in as an MP next week, another cabinet reshuffle is rumoured to be on the cards.

The Sunday Times reported that President Jacob Zuma planned to replace Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande with Dlamini-Zuma, as working relations between Nzimande and the president had reportedly reached a new low.

ANC national executive committee member Bheki Cele claimed yesterday plans were in place to remove Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and create enough chaos for the elective conference not to go ahead, according to EWN. But analysts say it is unlikely. Wits economics lecturer Lumkile Mondi said axing Nzimande would not be a strategic move. “Unless Zuma and his supporters think that the SACP vote will not matter, particularly after they expressed their support for Cyril Ramaphosa, I’d be surprised if they gave up so early,” he said.

Political analyst Steven Friedman said a reshuffle might be possible as it was unlikely that Dlamini-Zuma was being sent to the Cabinet without being given a powerful position.

Friedman said it was unlikely that Zuma would remove ministers not allied to him. “It’s quite clear what the president feels about the SACP and what they feel about the president, but declaring war on them two months before election is not smart and seems unlikely,” Friedman said.

Analyst Ralph Mathekga said Zuma had “exhausted his reshuffle heart line”.

Zuma received the final report of a commission established to investigate the scrapping of university tuition fees in August, which has not been shared with Nzimande.

“Removing Nzimande would show how powerful Zuma thinks he is,” Mathekga said.

“Zuma, however, is looking for a legacy project so the first instinct would be to give Dlamini-Zuma the fees report.