Cabinet shuffle moves

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is expected to tackle his opponents with a cabinet reshuffle early next month following a loss of support among his ministers.

The divisions in the cabinet emerged in a bruising battle in the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting last weekend that was extended by a day to finish off the fight on the motion of no confidence against Zuma.

Despite renewed, intensified talk of a cabinet reshuffle soon, Zuma’s spokesman, Bongani Ngqulunga, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Those expected to go are Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and the man who brought the motion in the NEC, Derek Hanekom, as well as Thulas Nxesi of Public Works.

Hanekom, who heads the Tourism Department, tabled the motion at the meeting leading to the drawn-out battles between the two sides in the NEC.

Zuma travelled to Cuba this week immediately after the NEC meeting to pay tribute to its late former leader, Fidel Castro, in a clear demonstration of his control of the state and the party.

Counterpart

He also left the NEC meeting for a few hours to meet his counterpart from Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, before rejoining the intense discussions on his future.

It had been said earlier that Zuma would remove ministers who had called for his head.

But ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe denied talk of a reshuffle or that any of the ministers would be fired for calling for Zuma to go.

This also followed reports that ministers had threatened to resign en masse if Zuma did not go.

This was also denied by Mantashe.

It was business as usual for Zuma after he survived the recall, which apparently caught his supporters off guard.

It was also said in the week that the EFF had taken advantage of the divisions in the ANC by calling for a motion of no confidence against Zuma in Parliament.

But Parliament denied that it had received any letter from the EFF asking that a vote of no confidence be tabled against Zuma.

Zuma has been under pressure to go for several months, but he has refused to accede to the demands.

His support in the NEC has strengthened his hand in the ANC with no chance in the next few months of him being ousted before he completes his term in December next year.