The Director of Programmes at the Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute (ASRI) said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s long-awaited cabinet reshuffle has been delayed by the African National Congress’ (ANC) desire to be at the strategic centre of power.
It was expected that Ramaphosa would reshuffle his cabinet before the state of the nation address (Sona) and the budget speech, but he has not yet given any indication of when the reshuffle would take place.
Over the weekend, there were reports that Ramaphosa was “closer” to reshuffling his cabinet as he consulted senior leaders of the ANC and the tripartite alliance.
Watch the interview with Ebrahim Fakir
ANC wants to be charge
Speaking to the SABC, Fakir said the delay in Ramaphosa reshuffling his cabinet is because the “ANC wants to be the center of power.”
“They want to pull the strings and I suspect that is what has delayed the reshuffling of the cabinet which was expected to happen before the state of the nation and shortly after the budget, and here we are still talking about a potential reshuffle.”
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Simple decision for Ramaphosa
Fakir said it ought to be a simple decision for Ramaphosa to reshuffle his cabinet.
“If he has a particular agenda that he wants to drive through, then he has to appoint the kind of people who accord with his vision and who have the administrative instruments at their disposal and are going to use them for achieving that vision, rather then achieving for a range of other ends which the ANC has been an expert at doing once they enter the state machinery.”
Fakir said there is also another easy reason for Ramaphosa to make changes to his cabinet.
“There are clearly ministers in his cabinet who fundamentally disagree with him on what approach should be taken to the constitution. They fundamentally disagree on the role of judges, they have been vilifying the judiciary and his administration.”
“There are cabinet ministers currently sitting in his cabinet who have called him weak, who have sometimes called him a liar and sometimes even blocked the kind of policy decision that he wanted pushed through but simply didn’t do so.
And there those who are fundamentally, contrarily predisposed against his vision. Those are the ones who should be going. But I don’t think for as much as they claim that they prerogative to appoint people into cabinet is that of the president, but it is constitutionally,” Fakir said.
Godongwana sworn in as an MP
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP) allowing a non-parliamentary member to be appointed into Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.
Godongwana was sworn following the resignation of Mike Basopu.
This is the clearest indication that Ramaphosa will announce his reshuffle in the coming days.
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