Africa-Press – South-Africa. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has been sworn in as a Member of Parliament, allowing a non-parliamentary member to be appointed into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.
Godongwana was sworn in on Tuesday following the resignation of Mike Basopu.
This is the clearest indication that Ramaphosa will announce his reshuffle in the coming days.
News24 reported on Tuesday morning that Ramaphosa needed to make space to appoint a minister who is not part of the National Assembly to his executive to become the minister of electricity – which is why his Cabinet reshuffle has been delayed.
By law, Ramaphosa is allowed to appoint two Cabinet ministers who are not MPs to his Cabinet. Godongwana and Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel were occupying these positions.
Speculation is rife that the non-MP who will be co-opted to Ramaphosa’s Cabinet is the head of investment and infrastructure in the Presidency, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, who is likely to become the minister of electricity.
News24 understands that the Eastern Cape had initially targeted Noxolo Abrahams to resign and make space for Godongwana. However, Parliament said Abrahams was on Parliament’s national list and that an MP on the provincial list would have to resign.
An insider close to the discussions told News24 that Basopu and Sakhumzi Somyo, who were both on the ANC Eastern Cape provincial list in Parliament, were approached and Basopu, who became an MP in November 2021, resigned to make way for Godongwana.
Godongwana is the latest ANC member to be sworn in as an MP. Parks Tau, Sihle Zikalala, Paul Mashatile, and Maropene Ramokgopa were sworn in earlier in February.
Mashatile is set to replace David Mabuza as the country’s deputy president, while Zikalala, Tau, and Ramokgopa are also likely to join Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.
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