Cabinet reshuffle on hold as Ramaphosa falls ill

A cabinet reshuffle announcement that was rumoured to take place on Thursday was abruptly postponed after President Cyril Ramaphosa fell ill, sources say.

Insiders with intimate knowledge told TimesLIVE Ramaphosa cancelled all his engagements, including consultative meetings with national ANC officials and tripartite alliance partners after he caught a cold earlier this week.

His doctors are said to have told him on Wednesday that he had “flu-induced exhaustion” and was ordered to rest, according to several sources.

“I’d rather keep the reshuffle delayed while he gathers strength. His doctors say it's flu caused by exhaustion. He just needs to rest and he will be fine,” a senior ANC leader said.

The Presidency confirmed Ramaphosa is recovering, but denied the much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle was scheduled for Thursday. 

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “President Cyril Ramaphosa had a minor cold on Tuesday, but continued with his duties, including hosting [Ugandan] President Yoweri Museveni. There was never any announcement scheduled for Thursday.”

Briefing the media at the Union Buildings during Museveni's state visit, Ramaphosa sounded unwell, with ministers barely being able to hear him at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“He's exhausted. He can't talk, he doesn't have a voice. Remember, he has not rested since December. He only took a week when he was in Cape Town, but he was still receiving envoys,” an insider said.

“And you know the body has a way of shutting itself down. We couldn't hear him in cabinet — that’s how bad it is.”

TimesLIVE was reliably informed that the reshuffle will most likely take place on Sunday or Monday.

According to several ANC leaders, it is likely to bring sweeping changes to the executive, with a cabinet minister saying: “Initially it didn’t look like it was going to be a big reshuffle, but I can say it is now showing signs of being extensive.”

TimesLIVE also understands that Ramaphosa met ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile, who witnessed the poor state he was in.

Ramaphosa is said to have felt the need to put Mashatile at ease after rumours regarding machinations to block his imminent move to the Union Buildings.

“Mashatile knows first hand. He saw him with his own eyes, which assured him he will be installed as soon as the president is better,” a cabinet minister said.

In a post-cabinet briefing on Thursday, minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said Ramaphosa acknowledged the need to close the gaps.

“The president has made an undertaking to appoint a minister of electricity. Naturally, once he acknowledges the gap and makes an undertaking, that job will be done, but that day, time and hour belongs to the president.”

Earlier this week Magwenya told the media Ramaphosa was expected to announce changes to his cabinet “in a number of days”.

The president was still applying his mind and did not want to make a hasty decision, he said.

“The appointment of cabinet members and the management of cabinet is not something you can conduct in haste or something you can do in a rush. It’s something that has to be carefully considered because you have to look at the stability of government and programmes under way.”

Magwenya said there are many “layers of complexity and sensitivities” that have to be looked at.

“I am not sure that he will agree that it has taken long because the work of government has continued, whether it is the energy crisis or other areas.

“The work of government has not been undermined in any shape or form. However, the president is aware that he has to fill the vacancies.”

TimesLIVE

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