“Ramaphosa’s new cabinet should showcase commitment to new dawn”

Speculation on President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s make-up of the new cabinet is gaining momentum as he is expected to announce new ministers and deputies. Latest reports have suggested that Deputy–President David Mabuza and Minister of Women in the Presidency Bathabile Dlamini will reportedly be excluded from his cabinet following this month’s general elections.

Ramaphosa is expected to announce his cabinet after his inauguration at the weekend at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Political analyst Ongama Mtimka says Ramaphosa should show South Africans that he has been committed to the new dawn that he has promised and that he is now ready to make appointments that affirm this.

“Now that you don’t have national ANC processes such as a conference or a list process that’s coming up, he’s got a window of opportunity before another impactful ANC process at a national level comes in the campaigning for the national general council next year. If he fails to use this opportunity then we can come to the conclusion that all along it was not necessarily the political stalemate that held him hamstrung within the ANC from making the right decisions at a cabinet level but rather his own being beholden to the powerful interest within the party.”