President Cyril Ramaphosa denies creating a ‘super presidency’
Following the announcement of a new electricity minister to sit in the presidency during the State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied creating a parallel government.
Once appointed, the new political head will oversee aspects of the response to the electricity crisis, focus on all Eskom-related matters, and work with the board and management to bring an end to load shedding.
As of 2022 the State Security Agency reports to the Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. Several other portfolios under the presidency include the red tape reduction committee headed by Sipho Nkosi, and the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team that was led by Daniel Mminele.
Ramaphosa said as the centre of government, the presidency is tasked with ensuring that government functions and plays a supervisory role.
He described the criticisms as a “misunderstanding” of the president and the presidency.
“At one stage people said they want the centre of government to be strong, and when we do so they criticize and say ‘oh you’re giving too much power to the presidency.”
At the same time, Ramaphosa described the DA’s announcement that it will challenge the declaration of the energy crisis as a state of disaster is misguided.
“Their criticism is misguided and it's based on not understanding of what we are seeking to achieve. We are seeking to address the electricity crisis by declaring a state of disaster. It is quite interesting that they called for a state of disaster and when it is declared, they are opposed to it,” Ramaphosa said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the post-Sona Presidential Golf Tournament on Friday.
In a statement, the DA said the National State of Disaster under the guise of dealing with the load shedding crisis it created, will empower the ANC to abuse procurement processes and issue “nonsensical regulations” that have little to do with the electricity crisis.
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But Ramaphosa insisted there will be no looting.
“If there is any money that is going to be deployed, it is money that is going to be deployed to Eskom, to entities that are going to enable us to deal with the energy crisis. That’s it. There’s not any form of money that is going to parcelled out to individuals.”
Ramaphosa said he would iron out any misunderstanding around the declaration during the scheduled SONA debate.
CABINET RESHUFFLE
The president has called for patience amid talk of an imminent cabinet reshuffle, and the resignation of Deputy President David Mabuza.
Mabuza tendered his resignation following the election of new ANC leadership, however, Ramaphosa asked him to remain in his role “until such time the modalities of his departure and transition have been finalised”.
“All these matters, the cabinet and all that are matters that are under consideration, and as I have said in the past watch this space. All this will be announced in due course. I think there’s a great deal of impatience on the part of the media and we are processing all these matters, and in good time all these will be announced.”
Four new ANC members of Parliament, including newly elected party deputy president Paul Mashatile and second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa, were appointed and sworn in this week.