Mbalula: Cabinet reshuffle to be finalised before end of February

Mbalula briefed the media on Tuesday following the party's national executive committee meeting.

He disputed claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa is holding up the process of shuffling his cabinet, saying the ANC was still in the process of finalising its programme of action.

"We have been dealing with January 8, we have produced January 8, we have finalised our resolutions and we have reconfigured ourselves in terms of the NEC.

“We have finalised the resolutions of the conference, they are ready to be printed. Now we are developing a programme of action.

“In government, we had the State of the Nation Address then the budget and then from there all of these issues we've got to have answers and they'll be closed.

“All of these things should be wrapped up within the month of February, President is applying his mind on a whole lot of issues, and within the month of February all of these issues should be finalised," added Mbalula.

The reshuffle could see a host of senior ministers leaving the executive after failing to secure a seat on the ANC’s 80-member NEC during the December national conference.

This includes Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor, and Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Mbalula will also have to be replaced as transport minister, as he is based at Luthuli House full-time to focus on his role as ANC secretary-general.  

Paul Mashatile, who is expected to take over from David Mabuza as the country's deputy president, has already been sworn in as an MP.

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