PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa will announce changes to the national executive at 7pm on Monday, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed on Sunday.
“Having exercised his constitutional prerogative, the President will announce the new National Executive at 7pm tomorrow, Monday, 6 March 2023,” said Magwenya.
“This will reinforce government’s focus – as the President said in SONA – on those actions that will make a meaningful difference now, that will enable real progress within the next year and that will lay a foundation for a sustained recovery into the future.”
“The President appreciates the importance of putting in place a National Executive that will build on the commitments government has made for faster growth through our investment drive, economic reforms, public employment programmes and an expanding infrastructure programme.”
Despite numerous promises to reshuffle his Cabinet since December, Ramaphosa has delayed the shake-up of his executive by almost two months.
On Friday, he reportedly fell ill, further delaying the announcement. However, photographed with businessmen living it up at an auction gala dinner on the same day.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa honoured the engagement of the Ntaba Nyoni Cattle Stud, a dinner preceding an annual auction, adding that this was scheduled a number of months ago.
Magwenya said that the president has attended to his duties while treating a common cold, throughout the week.
“The President made a brief stop at Friday’s dinner – to greet guests. President Ramaphosa did not attend the auction itself the following day as his cold persisted and required that he should rest. The accusations and misinformation we have seen around this matter are therefore completely unjustified,” Magwenya said.
ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile is widely expected to become the country’s new Deputy President after David Mabuza resigned from the position.
Mashatile was sworn in as an MP in February.
There are three positions in the cabinet that need to be filled, including the Public Service and Administration and Transport portfolios as well as the Miniter of Electricity.
Ramaphosa is expected to bring in fresh faces to his new Cabinet, including former KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala, ANC second Deputy Secretary-General Maropene Ramokgopa and former Joburg mayor Parks Tau, all of whom were sworn in as Members of Parliament in February.
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