Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa will have his hands full in the first few days of the new year as he kicks off his second term.
First, he will have to lead the resumption of the national conference, which was adjourned by the ANC’s steering committee on Tuesday to Thursday, January 5, in Mangaung.
The adjournment came at the end of the party’s 55th elective conference on Tuesday.
On January 8, Ramaphosa will also lead the party on its 111th anniversary celebration of the ANC, also in Mangaung.
The elective conference catapulted Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to de facto full-time ANC figurehead, opening up a window for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Immediately after his election as secretary-general, Mbalula told a media briefing after his election that ANC leaders would discuss with Ramaphosa “when” he will resign as transport minister so that “the work isn’t disrupted”.
Should the reshuffle take place, it could also give Ramaphosa an opportunity to finally appoint a new Public Service and Administration Minister – 10 months after Ayanda Dlodlo resigned as minister to take up a director position at the World Bank.
Since then, Ramaphosa has appointed Labour and Unemployment Minister Thulas Nxesi as acting minister for the Public Service and Administration Department.
Ramaphosa doesn’t appear to have used the key performance indicators he made his ministers sign amid calls for ministers’ resignations due to poor performances.
According to the Constitution, the president appoints the deputy president, ministers and deputy ministers, assigns their powers and functions, and may dismiss them.
According to ANC policy, its president is expected to appoint its deputy president as the country’s deputy president.
ANC NEC leader Paul Mashatile replaces David Mabuza as party deputy president and Ramaphosa is expected to announce him as deputy president of the country.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, had not responded to queries at the time of writing, about the president’s itinerary.