Cabinet changes tipped to be on agenda at ANC meeting
The country will wait with bated breath to find out who makes it into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet and who will be SA’s next deputy president.
The ANC’s special national executive committee meeting started on Sunday and is expected to conclude on Monday. Speculation is rife that Ramaphosa is set to brief the committee on cabinet changes.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said on Sunday that the reshuffling of the Cabinet would be handled with speed.
The ANC’s top six officials will be meeting on Monday and Magashule said: “If the matter [cabinet reshuffle] arises then, we will then discuss it there.”
The country has been without a deputy president since Ramaphosa was sworn in, and Magashule said this would be addressed “as we package the entire Cabinet. It will be very, very, very soon.”
The ANC will brief the media on the outcomes of the meeting on Tuesday. There are calls for Ramaphosa to fire ministers allegedly involved in corruption and state capture, including Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, Energy Minister David Mahlobo, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly will consider a draft resolution on expropriation of land without compensation. EFF leader Julius Malema will make a submission on the draft resolution.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula is scheduled to make a statement on the increased killing of police officers, placing emphasis on the recent killings at Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape.
Also on Tuesday, Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts will hold a hearing on efforts by the Department of Water Affairs to tackle irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
The portfolio committee on trade and industry will begin its inquiry into compliance with localisation and local public procurement policy for bus procurement. The inquiry will continue on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the portfolio committee on home affairs will be briefed by the Electoral Commission of SA on the local government elections of 2016. It will also receive a briefing by director-general Mkuseli Apleni on information received on the circumstances surrounding the early naturalisation of the Gupta family.
Also on Tuesday, the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services will meet Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on matters of public interest and her request last year for additional resources.