Day of the long knives

President Jacob Zuma hastily assembled his new cabinet on Sunday - some of his ministers were told about their new job only hours before the public announcement.

The Times has reliably learned that Zuma's four-hour delay in making the announcement on Sunday was because he was still talking to those whom he fired and to his new appointees.

Zuma's office sent out a media alert for a special presidential briefing on Sunday at 2.30pm in Pretoria, but kept the country in suspense for about 3½ hours, until about 6pm.

"It was very tense on Sunday. Difficult decisions were being communicated and we were also dealing with emotions," said a spokesman whose minister was given the boot.

The delay, said officials close to the president, was also partly due to Zuma battling to contact some of those whom he axed.

Only Zuma's tight inner circle knew of the changes because there were concerns that they would be leaked to the media.

Government spokesman Themba Maseko confirmed last night that the delay was due to Zuma making phone calls to both the axed ministers and the new appointees.

Maseko refused to say whether Zuma had failed to contact some ministers.

But ministers believed to have learned of their fall from grace through the media include former Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, and Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile.

According to one of Stofile's advisers, he was at his home in Eastern Cape and was not contacted about the cabinet reshuffle.

Stofile on Thursday scheduled a meeting with Boxing SA's board for November 9 to discuss his dissatisfaction with the board's performance, among other issues.

"The minister wanted to schedule the meeting for last week; a clear indication that his axing was not discussed with him. It came as a surprise, I must tell you," said the adviser.

Nyanda - whose tenure has been marred by controversy - could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya is one of those Zuma had difficulty in contacting.

He was not able to tell her personally of her removal from the ministry of women, children and people with disabilities until about 4pm.

"She was very emotional, though we anticipated [sic] that she would be chopped.

"The president's office tried to contact her, but was unsuccessful and had to go through one of the officials in her department to get hold of her," said an official in Mayende-Sibiya's office.

Ministers get 30 days in which to vacate their office, but Mayende-Sibiya's staff yesterday said she had already ordered that her personal belongings be packed and removed.

"She just wants to get out of this office. I think there is that element of embarrassment."

She has apparently indicated that she wants to vacate her ministerial house in Pretoria as soon as possible.

The removal of former labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana has been viewed by some ANC insiders as a boost for the party in the Western Cape.

Mdladlana heads the ANC's provincial team, set up after the collapse of party organisation in the province in the past three years.

ANC members said Mdladlana will now have more time to strengthen the ANC in Western Cape ahead of next year's local-government elections.

"We need him more as we prepare to reclaim the wards that we lost to the DA," said an ANC official.

Zuma's new ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in yesterday by Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo at the Presidential Guesthouse, in Pretoria.

The Times has learned that some of the new deputies were caught off-guard when they were called by the president's office at about lunch time for an urgent meeting.

One of those surprised was the former general secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Thulas Nxesi, who was sworn in as deputy minister of rural development and land reform.

Nxesi and his wife celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary on Saturday and still had guests at their home when he was contacted by Zuma on Sunday.

"He had no knowledge as to what it was about and was shocked when the president informed him of his appointment - it's not as if he had a choice," said a relative of Nxesi.

Some of the new ministers and deputies had mixed feelings about their new roles.

They said that, with Zuma's reshuffling occurring only 17 months into his term, ministers were aware that they too could be removed.

Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Ngoako Ramathlodi said he had mixed feelings when he received Zuma's phone call but promised that he was ready for the job.