Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel has become the latest Cabinet member who was appointed from outside Parliament to be sworn in as member of the National Assembly.
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has been left with two spots to appoint two people from outside Parliament after Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel was sworn in as an MP ahead of the Cabinet announcement at 7pm on Monday.
The swearing-in of Patel on Monday comes a week after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana took his oath of office as a member of the ANC in Parliament.
Godongwana and Patel were the two ministers who were appointed outside of Parliament in line with the Constitution.
This comes as the IFP has called on Ramaphosa to make sweeping changes to his Cabinet.
Political analyst Professor Dirk Kotze, of Unisa, said signals had already been sent out that this could be a new Cabinet.
He said Ramaphosa had to fill the existing vacancies.
Former deputy president David Mabuza resigned last week, former minister of public service and administration Ayanda Dlodlo resigned last April and Fikile Mbalula is expected to leave the transport ministry after he was appointed full-time at the ANC headquarters as secretary-general.
Kotze said the ball was in Ramaphosa’s court.
“What you must keep in mind about the Cabinet is that it will be a temporary Cabinet then there will be elections in just over a year,” said Kotze.
He added that the priority for Ramaphosa was to appoint the minister of electricity and fix local government.
“One thing I don’t understand is local government, which is not receiving attention. He is supposed to be giving it priority. I don’t hear much on the structure of the portfolio,” said Kotze.
IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the country needed a Cabinet that would deliver.
He said South Africa was facing a plethora of challenges and needed people who would get the ball rolling.
Ramaphosa must also not pander to the whims of the factions within the ANC to placate them.
“Whatever President Ramaphosa has decided, this reshuffle must not pander to the competing internal priorities of the ANC. Any appointments made today need to put South Africa’s needs first and install persons with the necessary skills and integrity to make difficult decisions and get the job done,” said Hlengwa.
