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ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule says Cabinet ministers who are reshuffled “will have to move on”.
Speaking to City Press in a wide-ranging interview last Friday, Magashule refused to be drawn into speculation that President Cyril Ramaphosa was planning a Cabinet shake-up.
However, he said, the ANC did not expect that if such changes happened then the party’s programmes, including the upcoming general elections next year, would be destabilised.
“How can a reshuffle destabilise anything? Even if there is a reshuffle it won’t destabilise anything. If you are a member of movement you will have to move on,” he said.
Magashule said the ANC had handled many reshuffles before and “those who left are still active members and the movement continues”.
City Press had learnt that by last Monday Ramaphosa had already made his intentions clear to the ANC top six in Luthuli House.
The Presidency said on Thursday that Ramaphosa would announce changes to the national executive at 3pm.
The Presidency said the expected changes had been occasioned by the death of Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa in September, and the more recent resignation of the Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba.
However, reports earlier in the week indicated that Ramaphosa may be looking at a radical shake-up of his executive, including the creation of a “super ministry” to enhance the coordination of economic policy implementation.
Talk of a looming reshuffle gained traction a fortnight ago when Ramaphosa and Magashule briefed the ANC caucus in Cape Town.
An ANC MP attending the brief said that in his political input Ramaphosa was firm that the party leaders should watch their conduct in public.
City Press heard that Ramaphosa also said that the ANC must appear responsible in the way it responded to allegations against its leaders.
“That was a loaded statement,” said the MP, adding that it could have been a hint from Ramaphosa that he was looking and chopping and changing Cabinet.
However, another MP said it was unlikely because “the political mood was not conducive”.
A government official working in the office of a minister also said it was expected that at least four ministers could be affected.
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