Cyril Ramaphosa set to make cabinet changes by end of January

President Cyril Ramaphosa is likely to make a decision on a cabinet reshuffle at the end of January, ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile says.

He said the move was inevitable and would take place after the ordinary sitting of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) and the ANC NEC lekgotla at the end of January.

“We’re going to have the lekgotla of the NEC [and] finalise the plans. Once we are done, the president will then begin to look at where he should make changes,” said Mashatile.

Ramaphosa is expected to axe some ministers who did not make the new NEC cut and introduce newcomers to the structure.

Mashatile said the reshuffle would be necessary because some members might leave, including secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.  

“The secretary-general has to be full time at Luthuli House, so at some point he has to leave. The president will then begin to look at what to do next, but we thought we shouldn't rush to make changes before we finalise our plan,” Mashatile added. 

Speaking at the ANC’s presidential golf day in Mangaung in the Free State, Ramaphosa said he would not give in to media pressure to reshuffle the cabinet.

“That is the most pre-eminent thing in your thoughts. Just obliterate that and wait for the moment when the president has applied his mind and stop asking when that is going to happen. So relax. Have a cup of coffee, sit back and watch this space,” he said.

Mbalula previously said the ANC would lobby Ramaphosa to include “youthful” ministers in the government to accelerate service delivery.

“What we do not want is people who are not going to deliver. We do not want incompetence, that is non-negotiable. We want people who are going to do the work. We want a gender-sensitive government, a government that is youthful, that is running,” said Mbalula.

“We do not want people sleeping on the job. If the president is going to come with sleepers, he must forget [about] our support. We are one year from the national elections. There are posts in the government that must be filled and if the president wants to go beyond that, it is up to him, but we want a functioning government.”