Ramaphosa is ready to bite bullet

DEPUTY President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted he would not resist his axing by President Jacob Zuma amid rumours of another cabinet reshuffle.

Ramaphosa also told Parliament yesterday the frequent cabinet reshuffles caused instability in government, echoing the sentiments of ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.

The threat of Ramaphosa’s removal comes days after another cabinet reshuffle which followed the midnight reshuffle in March.

This week former trade unionist James Motlatsi said the deputy president would be the next to be fired. Ramaphosa told Parliament during Q&A time that he served at the pleasure of Zuma and would not resist his removal should it come to that.

He said it was Zuma’s prerogative to hire and fire members of the cabinet including himself.

“In relation to statements made about my removal, I have been appointed by the president. It is the president’s prerogative to remove me. If a decision to remove me is taken I will accept that as a decision by the president,” said Ramaphosa.

EFF and DA MPs said the possibility of another reshuffle created instability in government.

However, Ramaphosa said there was nothing he could do if he were fired.

He said that he would not know what informs Zuma’s changes to the executive.

“He would have his own reasons why he appoints and removes people, as we are not privy to it,” he said.

“…the latest cabinet reshuffle has added to the narrative of instability because it comes seven months after the last reshuffle.”

He also called on the Guptas to come clean on state capture, saying they should welcome the commission of inquiry into it.

Acting chairperson of the portfolio committee of public enterprises Zukiswa Rantho said former Eskom chief executive Brian Dames told the inquiry in Parliament that it was too late to act on state capture.

She said Ramaphosa was in the cabinet and probed why they had not acted on the matter.

The deputy president responded saying the Gupta emails had exposed the scale of corruption in Eskom and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

“As I said in my initial input, these incidents of corruption are now spewing out in the manner we now know them. As news has been coming out, we have delayed and took too long to act against those who are involved,” he said.

He said the inter-ministerial committee he was chairing on SOEs was looking at broad policy matters, but they relied on law-enforcement agencies to act.

He said those who have stolen from South Africa should return the money. Zuma has said he will establish a commission of inquiry into the matter.

Ramaphosa yesterday reiterated this point and said Zuma was working on it.