POLL | What are you expecting from Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle?

South Africans are waiting with bated breath to hear how President Cyril Ramaphosa will change his cabinet.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed Ramaphosa will address the nation on Monday at 7pm.

He is expected to make several changes to the national executive in the aftermath of the ANC's elective conference in December.

There are two vacant ministries — public service and administration, and electricity — that need to be filled.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula will also need to be replaced after his election as ANC secretary-general at the ANC's conference. 

There have been calls for several ministers to be booted from the cabinet, including:

• police minister Bheki Cele;
• tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu;
• minister of basic education Angie Motshekga;
• minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan; and
• sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa. 

The urgent need for a change was highlighted last week when David Mabuza resigned as an MP. This means the country has no deputy president.

While some have predicted a lot of changes to the cabinet, others said Ramaphosa will probably only announce minor tweaks and fill vacant positions.

Many said it doesn't matter who is appointed because they will likely be “just as incompetent”.

TimesLIVE reported last week that several ANC leaders believe the reshuffle may be quite large.

“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,” a minister said.

Cele said he was not worried about the reshuffle and whether he will remain police minister.

“Why should I be worried? I did not ask when I was put [in] and I will not ask why I am removed. So why should I be worried?” he said during a visit to the Sophiatown police station last Thursday.

“This is not an inheritance ... this is a job, you do the job you are given. When the job is taken and given to someone else, you go on with life. You think I can stop working and be worried about coming in? It's not a stokvel here. We work.”

Magwenya said the president was focused on economic growth and appreciates the importance of putting in place a national executive that will build on the commitments the government has made for faster growth, through investment drives, economic reforms, public employment programmes and expanding infrastructure programmes.

“This [cabinet reshuffle] will reinforce government's focus, as the president said in his state of the nation address, on those actions that will make a meaningful difference now, that will enable real progress within the next year, and lay a foundation for a sustained recovery into the future.”

You can follow Ramaphosa's address live below.

TimesLIVE

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