Cyril Ramaphosa's reshuffle ‘to assist with growth plans’

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s otherwise minor cabinet reshuffle was notable for placing a key ally at the helm of a ministry strategically positioned to assist with his plan to grow the economy.

While opposition parties were disappointed that the president kept Jacob Zuma ally Bathabile Dlamini as minister for women in the presidency, it is understood that the reshuffle, triggered by Malusi Gigaba’s resignation as home affairs minister last week, was more about the implementation of a key part of his economic stimulus package.

Environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa died in September and her portfolio went to another Zuma ally, Nomvula Mokonyane.

The telecommunications and communications departments were merged, with Ramaphosa picking Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who played a pivotal role in garnering support from the Eastern Cape for his campaign for the ANC presidency.

Telecommunication is a key part of Ramaphosa’s economic agenda.

In his stimulus package announced in September, he said the government would initiate the process of allocating highdemand radio spectrum to enable licensing, which he said at the time would unlock value in the sector, increase competition, promote investment and reduce data costs.

The cabinet changes were also an opportunity for Ramaphosa to provide a taste of what is to come in the proposed reconfiguration of the cabinet he promised during his state of the nation address in February.

Ramaphosa, who is still to lead the ANC to a general election, was “managing internal dynamics”, hence he did not move against Dlamini and Mokonyane, ANC insiders said.

Dlamini is the president of the ANC Women’s League and her removal would smack of a purge as the league supported Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, whom Ramaphosa narrowly beat at Nasrec in December.

Mokonyane is still considered a political heavyweight though she left behind a trail of destruction at the water and sanitation department.

She was at the helm of the department between 2014 and January 2018, and by the time she was moved to communications, the department had incurred about R2.5bn in irregular expenditure.

The ANC said the merging of communications and telecommunications into one ministry of communication would contribute towards greater alignment of policy, especially on the fourth industrial revolution and digitisation.

The party said NdabeniAbrahams’s appointment bore testimony to the confidence Ramaphosa had in the “young leaders of our country”.

The DA said Ramaphosa had missed an opportunity to fire delinquent ministers.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said that merging the ministries and recycling Siyabonga Cwele into home affairs “is little more than a reshuffling of dead wood”.

The DA filed an application to compel Ramaphosa to fire Dlamini and Gigaba, before his resignation. The president filed a notice to oppose the application on Wednesday.

Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko said this was a matter of principle as the hiring and firing of ministers was a constitutional imperative granted solely to the president.

- Business Day