Deputy president David Mabuza has communicated his intention to resign to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
TimesLIVE has learnt there have been a series of engagements this week between Mabuza and Ramaphosa ahead of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
Mabuza is said to have told Ramaphosa he wants to resign to allow for a smooth transition in the government after the election of Paul Mashatile as the ANC’s deputy president.
Mabuza told Ramaphosa he preferred for there to be alignment between leadership positions in the ANC and government.
“While there is no pronouncement by the president on any changes in the executive, the deputy president has, within the context of ANC leadership changes, taken a considered view that it is important to align party leadership roles with government responsibilities,” the office of the deputy president told TimesLIVE.
“To this end, he has engaged the president on his intention to resign to foster leadership synergies and cohesion both in the party and the state. The deputy president is awaiting a decision to that effect.”
Several members of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), including those who serve in Ramaphosa’s cabinet, however, insisted that Mabuza has already resigned.
The resignation is said to have reached Ramaphosa’s office on Wednesday morning.
It was however agreed, according to insiders, on Wednesday that Mabuza’s resignation should not be announced until Mashatile has been sworn in as an MP, to allow him to take over as deputy president.
The president appoints his deputy from among serving MPs.
“There’s nothing surprising really, DD has always said he wanted to leave. So I don’t think it’s shocking that we now find ourselves here,” said an NEC member close to the operation.
The ANC is also concluding amendments to its “provincial to national” lists of MPs to accommodate possible new MPs expected to be sworn in along with Mashatile.
TimesLIVE understands Mashatile was set to be sworn in on Wednesday, but at this stage it’s not clear what caused the delay.
Some of the provincial to national lists are said to have already been signed off by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and are now with parliament.
source: timeslive
