By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce changes to the national executive on Monday, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Sunday.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa will address the nation at 7pm on Monday evening, 6 March to announce the changes to his cabinet.
He added that while Ramaphosa is still nursing his cold, he is busy finalising the formation of the executive.
When asked why Ramaphosa didn’t address the media directly on Sunday, Magwenya said a “wave of speculation has been doing the rounds” in South Africa.
“[The president] has been in consultation and other parliamentary processes where he is needed to take account,” Magwenya said.
Addressing the issue of the Ankole auction, Magwenya said the president “honoured an engagement of the Ntaba Nyoni Cattle Stud” on Friday, 3 March.
“This was a dinner preceding an annual auction. The dates for these events were scheduled a number of months ago.”
Despite being in discomfort due to his ill health, Magwenya said the president “made a brief stop at Friday’s dinner to greet guests.”
A cabinet shuffle has been widely expected since Ramaphosa was re-elected leader of the ANC in December, paving the way for him to run for a second term in 2024.
Most of his Cabinet members were booted out of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) at the party’s elective conference in December. Among those left out of the NEC were Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Nathi Mthethwa (Minister of Sports Arts and Culture).
Also on the chopping bloc, is Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who also openly challenged and criticised the president ahead of Nasrec.
Ramaphosa announced the creation of the electricity ministry during his State of the Nation address last month as part of a series of measures aimed at addressing South Africa’s energy generation crisis and easing load-shedding.
Ramaphosa was due to meet ANC alliance partners to inform them of his final decision following weeks of consultation.
He was also supposed to have had a separate meeting with ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile, who is likely to become the next deputy president of the country following the resignation of David Mabuza from government.