Are cabinet reshuffles as seen in the Eastern Cape yesterday the last ditch attempt to fix the governance ahead of the 2024 elections or attempts to save a sinking titanic?
Despite the obvious signs of disruptions not just at leadership level but in governance in the province, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane said in the remaining two years this would strengthen the ANC.
Mabuyane said the reshuffle was geared at achieving the ANC’s 2019 manifesto commitments.
“We want to go back to our people in 2024 and say we achieved what they sent us to do in government.”
On Tuesday, Mabuyane announced changes to his cabinet where former transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe was given the boot.
Tikana-Gxothiwe contested on the Maliya slate led by former public works MEC Babalo Madikizela who contested Mabuyane and lost the provincial chair position.
Fezeka Nkomonye-Bayeni, who is said to have also supported Madikizela, was fired as MEC for sport, recreation, arts and culture. However, both will remain MPLs in the provincial legislature.
Mabuyane denied allegations of a purge saying: “If it was a purge we would have done it soon after conference.”
The reshuffle in the Eastern Cape follows the trend seen in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga which saw the chopping and changing of members of the executive after the party's conferences.
The most recent one was in KZN following Sihle Zikalala’s resignation as premier. Zikala failed to secure a second term as provincial chair after losing to Siboniso Duma who currently holds the position of MEC for economic development.
After the announcement of Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s appointment as new KZN premier, provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo echoed Mabuyane’s sentiment that the reshuffle was to consolidate unity in the party ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Asked if the ANC was not concerned about the chopping and changing of provincial leaders soon after conference and the impact this has on public perception, ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe disagreed.
“Let’s not call it chopping and changing because we’re making it look hazardous. Any leader of the ANC duly knows the resolutions of the ANC. The changing of personalities doesn’t change resolutions of the ANC. They are solid and cast in stone. We want those that lead to reflect that which we want to achieve [in government],” Mabe said.
Mabe said that changes were expected due to the fact that ANC elections and the general public elections did not coincide, therefore the leadership at some point would change.
“It’s very simple. The leadership of the ANC in a province or national level is the one expected to discharge the mandate of the ANC. Where the ANC discharges responsibility is in government and government must at all times reflect the posture of the ANC.
“This has got nothing to do with personalities but everything to do with our ability as the ANC to account to structures,” Mabe said.
While newly elected North West provincial chairperson Nono Maloyi asserted he would not reshuffle, he confirmed the ANC at provincial level would intervene where needed.
At the weekend, Maloyi beat North West premier Bushy Maape for the top position in the province.
Political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana said reshuffles, especially after conferences, were expected due to political opponents actively undermining each other during campaigns.
“Those campaigns get very ugly and that means enemies are created. In politics loyalty is very important because they are career politicians because they depend on these jobs.”
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