President Cyril Ramaphosa finally wielded the axe and strengthened his grip on the state by putting his most trusted allies in key positions.
The ascendance of the president’s trusted allies in senior posts is a clear indication Ramaphosa has his sights on a second term as president of the country and the ANC, and the new appointments are the people who will make him achieve that.
One of his closest allies, Enoch Godongwana, is now in charge of the public purse. Godongwana is the brains behind the economic recovery plan, and his rise to the finance ministry will enable him to implement the plan he drafted in his capacity as chair of the ANC national executive committee’s (NEC) subcommittee on economic transformation.
To deal with the embarrassing episode when our authorities were caught napping as KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng went up in flames during the recent unrest and looting, Ramaphosa also shook up the security cluster by taking full control of state security and removing defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s replacement, former National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise, is a trusted ally of the president who backed him ahead of Nasrec.
He also kept his ally Bheki Cele in the police ministry.
It is his decision to dismantle the ministry of state security that shows he is serious about consolidating power in the presidency.
The man in charge of state security will be Zizi Kodwa, the former deputy minister of the dismantled ministry.
Kodwa is one of Ramaphosa’s staunch backers and is believed to have been his eyes and ears in state security before Thursday night’s cabinet changes.
Unfortunately for small businesses, their fate will be in the hands of the bungling Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
However, the president couldn’t promote Kodwa to the position of minister given the allegations against him that came out of the state capture inquiry. Instead, Kodwa is now deputy minister in the presidency responsible for state security.
Also in the presidency is another Ramaphosa man, former Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele, who replaced the late Jackson Mthembu.
Ramaphosa also used the reshuffle to weaken some of his opponents.
The removal of Lindiwe Sisulu from human settlements and water affairs to tourism is meant to deal with her presidency ambition. She will no longer be able to criss-cross the country handing over houses and launching projects, activities that brought her closer to the ruling party’s lower structures.
Ramaphosa also dealt with long-standing complaints by some in the communications industry about the shortcomings of former minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. She has been replaced by another Ramaphosa ally, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Unfortunately for small businesses, their fate will be in the hands of the bungling Ndabeni-Abrahams.
Other Ramaphosa allies who have been promoted to strategic posts include Senzo Mchunu, who moved to water affairs, and Mmamoloko Kubayi, who is the new minster of human settlements.
The new appointments have changed the face of cabinet. They show Ramaphosa has finally assembled his own team. Except for Sisulu and Ayanda Dlodlo — who was shafted to public service and administration — Ramaphosa decided to appease his faction.
His supporters had been growing frustrated by his reluctance to act, especially against former health minister Zweli Mkhize, who has been replaced by his ex-deputy Joe Phaahla.
However, Ramaphosa could also be accused of sidelining opponents and centralising power.
The latest reshuffle could either clear his path to a second term, or create enough disgruntled people to deny him another term.
