Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel will be sworn in as an MP on Monday morning, shortly before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s anticipated cabinet reshuffle this evening.
This was confirmed by ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula and ANC parliamentary chairperson whip Pemmy Majodina.
Patel is the last remaining non-parliamentarian in Ramaphosa’s cabinet after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was sworn in as an MP last week.
This could mean that Ramaphosa will add two names of non-parliamentary members to his cabinet.
Ramaphosa is expected to announce a reshuffled cabinet, which will include a new electricity minister and a new deputy president to replace David Mabuza.
He announced the creation of the electricity ministry during his State of the Nation address in February as part of a series of measures aimed at addressing South Africa’s energy generation crisis and reducing load shedding.
Mabuza had informed Ramaphosa of his desire to step down in February, but was asked to remain in office while the process of selecting a replacement was completed. ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile is the most likely candidate.
Parliament accepted Mabuza’s resignation as an MP on Wednesday last week, leaving the country without a deputy president and increasing pressure on the president to reshuffle and replace ministers who failed to form the ANC’s national executive committee at a conference in December.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said at a media briefing to announce Ramaphosa’s program for the coming week that the process of filling the two vacancies in his cabinet would be completed “within a few days”.
“There is a sense of urgency for the president to fill the vacancy as soon as possible,” Magwenya said.