Cabinet reshuffle ‘in a number of days’

JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce changes to his Cabinet ‘in a number of days’ after the resignation of former Deputy President David Mabuza as an MP on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Union Buildings on Wednesday, Presidency Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told the media Ramaphosa knew that he had to fill vacancies in his Cabinet.

“There are vacancies in Cabinet and we also now have a vacancy in the role of the deputy president, so there is a sense of urgency that the president fills those vacancies as soon as possible.

“In a matter of days that announcement will be made.”

Magwenya said the Presidency will communicate to the nation when Ramaphosa was ready to make his announcement. The briefing comes hours after the Presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa had finally accepted Mabuza’s resignation.

TimesLIVE Premium reported earlier that Mabuza sent his letter of resignation to the speaker of the National Assembly on Tuesday evening, meaning the country does not have a deputy president. The move comes weeks after Mabuza asked Ramaphosa to relieve him of his duties as the deputy president. Ramaphosa had asked Mabuza to delay his resignation.

The Sunday Times reported that Ramaphosa had been consulting the ANC’s alliance partners, signalling that he is a step closer to announcing his Cabinet reshuffle. Ramaphosa met COSATU and the SACP in marathon meetings at Luthuli House last Friday.

The Sunday Times reported that the president was also consulting the ANC’s national officials, including his probable incoming deputy Paul Mashatile. The ruling party has committed that the rejigging of Ramaphosa’s Cabinet will be done by the end of February. On why Ramaphosa was taking his time, Magwenya said the president didn’t want to make a decision in haste.