Minister is a Zuma ally

It remains to be seen whether Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini will keep her position amid rumours of President Jacob Zuma’s looming Cabinet reshuffle.

According to political analysts, Dlamini is comfortably in the Zuma camp of the ruling ANC and it is, therefore, uncertain whether she is in any danger of losing her portfolio.

Dlamini was grilled yesterday by parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) by MPs who questioned her about the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and how millions of rands in social grants would be paid out come April 1.

According to analyst Andre Duvenage, Dlamni’s conduct showed “she isn’t in control of her portfolio. She was ducking and diving and was largely incoherent. She clearly doesn’t know how to manage the situation”.

He added that there “was a lot of ground for getting rid of her”, but that Dlamini was a “critical link in Jacob Zuma’s survival attempt”.

“Dlamini has a very good position in this process, as president of the Women’s League and so forth. But there is no place for her and the way she dealt with this matter – there are no excuses for this.

“She’s at the centre of a political war within the ANC. And she is paying for it in parliament – the factions are there, too. Parliament is not positive about her.”

Analyst Ralph Mathekga said that if Dlamini found herself in danger, it wouldn’t be over the Sassa issue.

“She is in Zuma’s corner, so anyone with common sense will have to be careful on how to deal with her, because she is much higher, politically.”

Analyst Daniel Silke added: “She may well be, given the public outcry, shifted to a lesser portfolio. This will allow for them [the ANC] not to be hurt.”