A few of Ramaphosa’s key allies leave Cabinet, who is likely to stay?
A few of Ramaphosa’s key allies leave Cabinet, who is likely to stay?
While some of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s allies within the party have made a decision to resign from the National Assembly days before last month’s general elections, it remains to be seen who would feature in his new Cabinet.
Ramaphosa, who was sworn in as the country’s number one at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, is expected to announce his new Cabinet in a few days.
His party decided to lead the new Government of National Unity (GNU) after they failed to get an outright majority vote in the May 29 elections.
A few of the allies that have left include outgoing Minister of Police Bheki Cele, International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor and Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.
The president’s allies who remain, who were sworn in to the National Assembly last week and are part of the ANC National Executive, are outgoing ministers in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Maropeng Ramokgopa and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
Previously ‘The Star’ reported that Ramaphosa was on the ropes after the DA hinted which portfolios in the new Cabinet they would prefer to be responsible for after the elections.
DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille laid it bare that Ramaphosa and the ANC were to select the new Cabinet members after they had consulted the DA.
Ramaphosa has reportedly been under pressure from his closest party allies to form a coalition with the DA after the elections.
According to sources close to the party, Ramaphosa might have been forced to dump some of his alliance members such as outgoing Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
“It remains to be seen but the ANC is torn apart because they decided to join the DA in coalition. Now the DA has its demands. That leaves the president in a position.
“He has to appease all the GNU organisations, but the DA wants to call the shots,” the source said.
The ANC had been locked in meetings all day Thursday on who to leave out of the new Cabinet, the source said.
The GNU, this week, started showing signs of falling apart after one of its member parties, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), issued a scathing warning to the DA.
This followed Zille’s assertions that the ANC was to consult them if any member of the PA was to be included in the new Cabinet.
The Star