General: Gone missing ... some ANC 'big guns'

The Departments of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Correctional Services, Economic Development and Environmental Affairs have been left without Ministers and deputies pending the announcement of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new Cabinet, reports Pam Saxby for Legalbrief Policy Watch. With the notable exception of former Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, the men and women who have been holding the political reins in all four departments were not included in the list of ANC MPs announced last week and sworn in yesterday. Mokanyane – appointed on Tuesday as House chair of committees, oversight and ICT, according to a party caucus media statement – withdrew at the eleventh hour and will be ‘redeployed’ to the ANC’s Johannesburg head office, Luthuli House.

While section 94 of the Constitution provides for the continuation of Cabinet after an election, it is not clear whether this applies to members who are no longer MPs. Former Deputy President David Mabuza is another, having been given permission to postpone participating in yesterday’s ceremony pending the outcome of a ruling party integrity commission process already under way. An ANC statement announcing this on Twitter referred to Mabuza’s wish to respond to allegations of having ‘brought the organisation into disrepute’. Interestingly, although the party apparently has no plans to investigate former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba about his alleged collusion with state capture miscreants (EWN), he, too, announced his withdrawal from the list at very short notice (News24) – along with former National Assembly Speaker Baleke Mbete.

Despite two administrative bungles (TimesLIVE), ANC candidates for Parliament’s top positions were eventually sworn in, along with President Cyril Ramaphosa. According to Monday’s ruling party media statement on the outcome of last weekend’s national executive committee meeting, the new National Assembly Speaker is former NCOP chair and North West provincial premier Thandi Modise, with Lechesa Tsenoli retaining his position as Deputy Speaker. Pemmy Majodina (who once served as Eastern Cape MEC responsible for sport) replaces Jackson Mthembu as ANC Chief Whip, with Dorris Dlakude remaining as deputy.

Today, if all goes well, former Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo will be sworn in as chairman of the NCOP, with former Norther Cape premier Sylvia Lucas as deputy and Seiso Mohai serving the dual role of ANC Chief Whip and the party’s NCOP caucus chair. This is noting that all nine new provincial premiers are automatically special NCOP members. They are Stan Mathabatha (Limpopo), Oscar Mabuyane (Eastern Cape), David Makhura (Gauteng), Job Mokgoro (North West), Refilwe Mtsweni (Mpumalanga), Sefora Ntombela (Free State), Zamani Saul (Northern Cape), Alan Winde (Western Cape) and Sihle Zikalala (KwaZulu-Natal) (News24).

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration tomorrow at Pretoria’s Union Buildings is expected to be followed by the announcement of his new Cabinet. If the Department of Economic Development is to be incorporated into the Department of Trade & Industry, as Fin24 has ‘reliably learned’ seems likely, who will lead it? Neither former Minister was elected to serve in SA’s sixth democratic Parliament. However, since section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution provides for ‘two Ministers from outside the Assembly’, rumour has it that Ebrahim Patel may well be appointed – with Rob Davies returning to manage the transition. In France to attend an ‘informal gathering’ of World Trade Organisation Ministers, Davies is still at the helm despite not being an MP. Meanwhile, according to Business Day, with a view to maintaining ‘momentum’ and in the interests of continuity the Minerals Council of SA has ‘urged’ Ramaphosa to ‘keep’ Gwede Mantashe as Mineral Resources Minister.

Follow Pam Saxby on Twitter (@SaxbyPam)