No easy wait for their cabinet nod

Phones of the chosen start ringing before dawn

NERVOUS cabinet ministers partied the night away at the house of their colleague, Bathabile Dlamini, while waiting for President Jacob Zuma’s call last weekend.

Ministers and ANC national executive committee members who were hoping to be appointed to Zuma’s cabinet gathered at Dlamini’s house after Zuma was inaugurated at the Union Buildings.

But as the hours went by without a call from the president’s office, the party became a sombre affair.

When midnight passed with many not having heard from Mahlamba Ndlopfu, some of the ministers, who included Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, new Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Telecommunications Minister Siyabonga Cwele, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and others, started to worry.

The Sunday Times has seen several SMSes from ministers to others who were worried that they had not received the call to report at Mahlamba Ndlopfu.

“We were all in the dark even on Sunday morning,” said one minister.

The party at Dlamini’s house went on into Sunday morning. Mbalula was one of the last ministers to leave, at about 4am.

The would-be ministers and their deputies started receiving calls from Presidency staff, including chief of staff Lakela Kaunda, from 4.30am. By 7.30am, more than 40 would-be ministers were seated in the waiting area in Mahlamba Nd-

As the hours went by without a call, the party became a sombre affair

lopfu in Bryntirion, Pretoria.

“Some were still wearing the same clothes they were wearing the previous night. You could tell they had not reached home [from Dlamini’s party] when they got the call,” said the minister.

Some of those who arrived at Mahlamba Ndlopfu in the early hours on Sunday morning were only informed of their appointments in the afternoon owing to the length of the queue to the room where Zuma and ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe were waiting for them.

Mantashe at times left the room to share a joke with those still waiting.

According to the minister, inside the room Zuma reminded them of his inauguration the previous day and told them he would not govern alone. He then informed them of their appointments.

“We were then escorted straight to our cars so that we couldn’t communicate with the others who were still waiting to be informed of their appointments,” said the minister.

One of the surprise appointments was Faith Muthambi as communications minister. Her name had not been discussed in any ANC caucus leading up to Zuma’s cabinet announcement.

The ANC Youth League, trade union federation Cosatu and the South African Communist Party had lobbied for their cabinet choices.

They were only made aware of Zuma’s decisions when he made the final selection public on TV and radio.