Ramaphosa says Mashatile is not on his way out

President Cyril Ramaphosa has no plans to remove Paul Mashatile as his deputy president and says it is unthinkable he would remove Mashatile barely six months after appointing him. 

He says he has spoken to Mashatile after reports emerged that there was a plot to remove him from office.     

The reports suggested Mashatile believes those behind the plot to remove him want him gone from the Union Buildings as early as next month.        

Ramaphosa on Sunday, however, said there were no such plans.

“I had a discussion with the deputy president and I said to him, ‘I appointed you and I’m the only person who can indeed appoint you.’

“There is just no thought, no plan, no inkling whatsoever that something like that could be in the works,” said Ramaphosa.

Speaking during an engagement session with the media on the sidelines of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting, Ramaphosa said he told Mashatile that it makes no sense that he would be removed so soon after his appointment.

Ramaphosa appointed Mashatile as his deputy president in April after his election as president at the ANC conference in December. He was sworn in with several cabinet ministers, including electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the minister in the presidency responsible for monitoring and evaluations, Maropene Ramokgopa.

“I would have to have my own head examined to have had a deputy president appointed and thereafter [removed], because I’m the only one who could remove him unless the party decides so and then does that. So there is no truth or substance at all as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Those in Mashatile’s camp believe the move to have him removed is orchestrated by several allies of Ramaphosa, including his former special adviser and NEC member Bejani Chauke.

Chauke this week dismissed the rumours that he has been plotting against Mashatile by leaking damaging stories about him.

These are said to include stories that have recently come out concerning Mashatile’s alleged extramarital affairs, as well as allegations of questionable relationships with business people.

Chauke said there had been fake WhatsApp messages purporting to be of him giving instructions to continue the onslaught against Mashatile.

Ramaphosa on Sunday, however, defended Chauke saying he had also been a victim of fake WhatsApp texts.

“There’s been quite an abuse of WhatsApp numbers. Mine was also used improperly and I think we did issue a statement to that effect because all of a sudden I found my WhatsApp number and photograph were being used to solicit money from a number of people.”

Ramaphosa said one recipient was a friend who called him and said “I just received this message from you” about sending money to someone, and he [Ramaphosa] asked “What message?”. Ramaphosa said “we then realised that my number was being abused and we are looking into all that”. 

“So this social media stuff and all that is used in various nefarious ways and that is precisely what I also went through.”