Sources have told IOL that President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce his anticipated new Cabinet before this week ends.
"Any time, anything can happen, although there's some stuff they need to clarify and iron out, but we can expect a call any time from now. Any minute from now it can be announced," one of the sources said.
This is apparently after the meeting between the ANC and DA had reportedly ironed out issues between them. This, as speculations continue to mount on when Ramaphosa will announce the cabinet.
IOL understands that negotiations in GNU are delayed by parties who want to dictate who Ramaphosa should put forward for ministerial positions.
However, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told IOL that they will issue an advisory when there’s an announcement to be made.
He could not delve into details.
South Africa has gone almost a week now without a Cabinet since Ramaphosa's inauguration at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday. He was sworn-in officially by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in a public ceremony.
On Monday, the ANC hit back at DA federal chair Helen Zille’s leaked letter demanding 12 cabinet posts, including that of the deputy president. It said only the president has the final word on who should feature in the cabinet positions.
The ANC called out the DA's demands as outlandish and outrageous, clarifying that no single party can hold the GNU to ransom.
This is after on Sunday, Zille wrote a letter, that IOL has seen, to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, informing him about her party's demands.
Some of the demands included the DA approving the appointments of directors-general (DGs) for all departments under its control - in what many on social media said was akin to “cadre deployment”.
The DA preferred the following portfolios:
- Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development.
- Social Protection, Community and Human Development.
- Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development.
- Justice, Crime Prevention and Security.
- International Cooperation, Trade and Security.
So far, 10 parties including the ANC, DA, IFP, PA, FF+, UDM, RISE Mzansi, Al Jamah, PAC, and GOOD have joined to form part of the GNU.
The ANC said it was committed and open to working with all the parties.
IOL Politics