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President Jacob Zuma has told opposition parties to win elections if they wanted to know why he reshuffled his cabinet.
During the question and answer session at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday afternoon, members of the Democratic Alliance (DA) asked Zuma to give reasons for the cabinet reshuffle in October which saw the likes of Blade Nzimande removed from his post as higher education minister.
The opposition specifically asked whether former state security minister David Mahlobo was put in charge of energy as an attempt to push through the nuclear deal.
“The question of changing ministers is the prerogative of the president. There are reasons that are not necessarily to be known by people.
“I exercise this power after careful consideration. The specific decisions to which you refer are presently the subject of judicial consideration.
“If you want to know these questions you must win elections and have a government so that you can get to know,” he said.
The Inkatha Freedom Party’s Mntomuhle Khawula pointed out that the decision to remove Nzimande despite his achievements “defies logic”.
“There is no decision [that] the president has taken that has defied logic. Not a single one,” Zuma said in response.
Zuma’s appearance before the NCOP was his last oral reply session for 2017.
The DA also tried to put in a request for Zuma to be asked an urgent question on the military takeover in Zimbabwe. NCOP chairperson Thandi Modise rejected the request, saying it was against the rules.
A moment later, however, a DA member snuck in a question and asked Zuma whether he supported the call for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
“You don’t want to speculate. You want to see what is happening and take the appropriate kind of conclusion and decision,” Zuma said.
He added that it was too soon to arrive to a firm conclusion on what should happen in Zimbabwe and said that he was still waiting to be fully briefed on the developments.
“I think it would be too early to take any firm decision now. I’m sure the situation in Zimbabwe very shortly will be becoming clear.”
