Zuma to cut down his cabinet
Balancing act sees Mbete ruled out as vice-president
ANC national chairwoman Baleka Mbete looks set to be reappointed as National Assembly speaker this week.
The ruling party will hold a series of meetings over the next three days to decide on parliamentary positions as well as premiers for the eight provinces it governs.
Mbete, who served as National Assembly speaker between 2004 and 2008, was initially tipped to become the second vice-president in President Jacob Zuma’s restructured cabinet.
But party insiders say that idea, which would have required that the constitution be amended, has since been abandoned and that Zuma is set on appointing his ANC deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, as South Africa’s number two.
Lobbyists in the party now say Mbete would be better placed as speaker to rein in the opposition. “The outgoing speaker [Max Sisulu] was too soft. He was easily bullied by the opposition. As an experienced speaker, Mbete will take charge,” said an ANC national executive committee (NEC) member who backs the move.
Zuma will announce his new cabinet on Sunday next week, a day after his inauguration as president. He is expected to reduce the number of ministers in his executive from the current 34 to between 27 and 29. Today, he will meet with Mbete and other members of the ANC top six leadership structure to hear representations from the eight provinces on whom they should appoint as premiers.
A special national executive committee meeting will be held tomorrow to discuss both premier candidates and the parliamentary presiding officers and whips.
Although the president is being lobbied by various groupings in the tripartite alliance, the decision about who occupies which post in the cabinet is his alone. Within hours of naming his new ministers, Zuma will go into the party’s NEC meeting on Sunday, where he is expected to explain his choices.
The merger of departments will result in some ministers not coming back. The most vulnerable is Ebrahim Patel, whose Economic Development Department is likely to be merged with the new Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.
Patel is not backed by the Cosatu leadership because he is close to Zwelinzima Vavi — the strong anti-Vavi faction would rather see health workers’ union Nehawu general secretary Slovo Majola in Cabinet.
Lulu Xingwana is also not expected to return as her department will likely be merged with social development.
But Zuma’s headache is whether to accommodate the popular Bheki Cele, who has reconnected with ANC structures, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Those two still have unresolved issues. Cele challenged the findings of the Moloi commission in court after he was
He is expected to reduce the number of ministers from 34 to about 29
fired [as national police commissioner] . . . he was meant to meet with Zuma and resolve their matters, but that hasn’t happened. It might be difficult for Zuma to appoint him,” said a KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial executive committee member.
Cele will be sworn in along with 248 other ANC MPs in the National Assembly and is said to be eyeing a cabinet position. Another view is that he should chair a portfolio committee rather than be appointed to the cabinet.
Changes to parliament are also in the offing. Although there may be a view from the left that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan be replaced, Zuma is said to be satisfied with his work.
“Zuma likes Pravin . . . he feels that he has stabilised the economy. Remember, he came in during the period of the global recession and he steered the economy out of the meltdown,” said a Cosatu leader.