ANC calls for unity, judge throws out DA application

CAPE TOWN. — The ANC yesterday neither welcomed nor condemned President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle.

Instead, the party called for its members to display unity.

The ANC’s national officials had expressed varying opinions about President Zuma’s changes, spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters yesterday morning that he had raised his “concern and objection” with the President about his removal of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, because the decision was based on a dubious intelligence report.

He said claims in the report that Gordhan was mobilising overseas investors to push for regime change were “totally unacceptable”.

“The ANC is confident that the national officials of the ANC will meet soon to further appraise each other on this matter and collectively give guidance and leadership to the organisation,” Kodwa said.

He said South Africans had bestowed upon the ANC the leadership responsibility to make a success of the country.

This required committed and focused action from ANC members and leaders, Kodwa said in the carefully worded statement.

“The ANC, therefore, at all times should focus on common and national challenges in the interest of the people and to advance their aspirations.”

From time to time, he continued, there might be different views on the nature and means to achieve the type of society they wanted.

“Diversity and plurality of views do not mean division, but robust and necessary engagement within our movement in our quest to deliver on our responsibility to our people.”

He said members and leaders of the ANC were expected to focus on what unified, rather than what divided them.

“Members of the executive are as always expected to display the highest levels of integrity, selflessness, trustworthiness, honesty and commitment to serve our people in the execution of their duties.”

Meanwhile, the ANC Women’s League and government have welcomed the appointment of new ministers, amid growing opposition to President Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle.

The ANCWL’s Moekgo Matuba applauded President Zuma for being cognisant of the gender parity policy of the ANC and “affirming women leadership through his decision, as he appointed 50 percent women ministers and 60 percent women deputy ministers”.

Another important feature of the reshuffle was the representation of different generations, the league said.

“The ANCWL concurs with the annotations of the president that the reshuffle will enhance efficiency in government and is a bold move toward ensuring the radical socio-economic transformation in the country which is an agenda of the ANC.

“This move will ensure a better life for the poor and the working class as per the 2014 ANC manifesto. The ANCWL denounces the narrative driven by the opposition that the reshuffle is factional and causing panic that the country is in crisis.”

Government communications acting director-general Donald Liphoko said the government was confident that the new ministers and their deputies would work tirelessly to bring about radical socio-economic transformation and move the country on an upward trajectory.

“The appointments made by the president are aligned to improving efficiency and effectiveness in the system and government is confident that the ministers and their deputies will hit the ground running to ensure the continuity of government programmes to realise Vision 2030, which is to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality,” he said.

In another development, the Western Cape High Court dismissed the Democratic Alliance’s bid to have the swearing in of President Zuma’s new Cabinet ministers interdicted.

Judge Owen Rogers ruled that the DA did not present a strong enough case based on facts for the court to intervene in the President’s prerogative to select his own Cabinet.

The DA’s advocate Anton Katz tried to argue that the party’s motion of confidence in Parliament will be redundant if the President’s reshuffle is allowed to go ahead.

Party leader Mmusi Maimane filed the motion on Thursday afternoon, before the President’s reshuffle at midnight.

Katz also tried to rely on statements made by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday that the reasons for Gordhan and other’s dismissals were “spurious”.

He said the swearing in of ministers, therefore, can’t go ahead until the President’s decision is reviewed, and the original Cabinet must be “held” until the no-confidence vote.

Counsel for the president Advocate Ismail Jamie said there is no requirement in law for the president to give reasons for a Cabinet reshuffle.

The court can pay attention to media speculation if it wants to, but the case ultimately comes down to legality and the president’s prerogative, Jamie said.

Jamie said that both Gordhan’s firing and Malusi Gigaba’s swearing in has already happened, as Gigaba is already a minister, and therefore nothing “magical” would happen at 18:00 yesterday.

“It’s done. Minister Gordhan won’t lose his job at 18:00 tonight. He lost it at 00:14 this (yesterday) morning.”

Ministers serve at the pleasure of the president according to the Constitution, and if the president decides he no longer wants someone in his Cabinet, “then that’s the end of it”, Jamie argued.

Rogers tested both counsellors but ultimately said the court was being asked to go further than it had ever gone before in interfering with a sitting President’s powers.

“This case goes to the heartland of the President’s ability to act and make decisions.”

He said whether the decision was good or bad was irrelevant.

The court’s ruling also was not a vindication of Zuma’s decision to reshuffle, only that at this point in time, it could not intervene.

The court noted the DA’s intention to take Zuma’s reshuffle on judicial review and reserved a ruling on costs until the review is completed. -