Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa is said to be laying the ground for his re-election as ANC president with plans afoot to remove possible contenders from Cabinet.
According to insiders, Ramaphosa is mulling a Cabinet reshuffle, and at the centre of it will be ministers that are perceived to be threats to his re-election as party president.
The sources said at the top of the list is the removal of Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu. She contested the position during the last elective conference in 2017 and is expected to do it again at the 2022 conference, a move that is not sitting well with Ramaphosa's supporters.
Chief lobbyist for her removal is alleged to be ANC chairperson and Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe.
"Gwede Mantashe has been pushing for Lindiwe's total push out. He says if she is given another ministry, she will have access to resources to fund her presidential bid. Therefore, she must be completely removed from government to stifle her prospects," alleged a source speaking on condition of anonymity.
Another source added that Mantashe is also positioning himself to ascend from his current position. The source said he has been trying to infiltrate Mpumalanga and claw away at David Mabuza's ground.
"The province is currently divided, and Mantashe is trying to gain ground. That is why you will see his department doing a lot of work in the province. He is also pushing his own political campaign," said the source.
Mantashe, this week, refused to confirm or deny that he was pushing for Sisulu's removal, saying the questions were "irrelevant" as he was a Cabinet member.
"Are you saying I am pushing for the Cabinet reshuffle? It doesn't work that way, I am just a Cabinet member. The Cabinet reshuffle is the privilege of the President. This question looks as if I am an enemy with Sisulu," said Mantashe.
According to the sources, Sisulu’s removal will pave the way for one of Ramaphosa's allies, David Mahlobo, to lead the department and ensure access to funds for the camp leading up to the conference.
Mahlobo has been accused, by some party members, of allegedly offering millions to some members to support Ramaphosa's fight against the party Secretary-General Ace Magashule.
Mahlobo has vehemently denied the allegations. Mahlobo and Sisulu haven't seen eye to eye since their appointment in the department.
Another bone of contention is the future of Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
Mkhize was voted man of the year last year for how he handled the Covid-19 pandemic, but of late, he has been implicated in a corruption scandal after a company linked to his former personal spokesperson, Tahera Mather, and his former personal assistant, Naadhira Mitha, was awarded an R82-million tender by the department.
The matter is being probed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Mkhize also challenged Ramaphosa in Nasrec, but withdrew his challenge in the 11th hour.
"It is a well-known secret that Zweli has been working on his political campaign to be the next President. At some stage, Ramaphosa felt that Mkhize was using his presence in the media to deal with the pandemic to boost his political campaign.
The President's headache right now is that he can't fire the health minister while we are in the middle of the pandemic and a possible third wave but he is keen to use the scandal to get rid of him because Zweli is also a potential threat to his presidency."
Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Tyrone Seale said: "The Presidency does not comment on speculation about changes to the executive".
A senior ANC official yesterday said that Ramaphosa was stopped in his tracks many times as he tried to use the Cabinet reshuffle for personal political reasons.
"Ramaphosa wants to use the Cabinet reshuffle by appointing his praise singers who would help him with his next campaign. He also wants to get rid of those who are challenging his throne. It has been almost a year since he planned to reshuffle, but we have stopped him in his tracks each time he tries to because we can see that it isn't a genuine Cabinet reshuffle but a political fight," the member said.
Political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga said the party is very tense and it has been a while since there was a reshuffle.
“Ramaphosa will have to find a balance between the two factions. It was the same thing with his cabinet before he announced it. He had to do a lot of engagements and try to find a balance,” he said.
Mathekga added that Ramaphosa would have to look at the different problems that exist in the different ministries.
“Look at the issue with the police; crime is a serious issue. Zweli Mkhize in his handling of the pandemic. Has he been a steller? You can ask yourself that question. With Pravin (Gordhan) on the SOEs, has he done what is needed? If you unbundle the SOEs, you also risk losing an ally. Mantashe has been wanting Eskom, but Pravin is an ally of Ramaphosa,” said Mathekga.
He added that Ramaphosa would be severely scrutinised with his reshuffle in terms of who he removes and brings in from all sectors of society.
“South Africans will be looking at whether reshuffling is about getting people who can get the job or if he is swinging to factions. The public will be scrutinising him and also from within his organisation. He is in a lose-lose situation,” he said.
Sources within the ANC said that Ramaphosa has no intention of axing communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abram and State Security deputy minister Zizi Kodwa because they are in his camp. "We all know how Stella got her groove and blew it."
Kodwa was implicated at the Zondo Commission for allegedly receiving money from business people involved in corruption scandals. Another elephant in the room is public works minister Patricia de Lille.
"Ramaphosa, an ANC president, is prepared to fire ANC ministers for political reasons, and yet, keep Patricia, who isn't our member and embroiled in the border fence scandal since she was appointed, for nefarious reasons," another ANC member said yesterday.
Another challenge for Ramaphosa is that whoever he fires, that person might team up with Magashule and start lobbying forces on the ground. A source said that such discussions are being held in the corridors of Luthuli House.
"If he fires Lindiwe, she might team up with Ace and unleash havoc. They will campaign vigorously to ensure that when we go to the conference, the President won't have the numbers," said the source.
Another source within the ANC claims that Ramaphosa's Cabinet reshuffle might be discussed during the NEC meeting today.
"The President is under pressure to reshuffle the Cabinet, but first, he must get rid of his allies like Zizi and Stella if he wants to convince us that the reshuffle is genuine and it is for good governance."
The source added that if Ramaphosa gets his blessings from the NEC to reshuffle his Cabinet, it will take about 10-14 days before the new Cabinet is announced.
"Even after the President gets his blessings, he still needs to consult with all members of the tripartite alliance and convince them before he can reshuffle."
Sisulu's spokesperson, Steve Motale, said she was aware of rumours doing the rounds about a possible Cabinet reshuffle, but not that she would be axed.
"As a loyal and disciplined member of the ANC, Minister Sisulu will abide by President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision. She fully understands that she serves in Cabinet at the pleasure of the President," he said.
Professor Tinyiko Maluleke said it was dangerous to single out a particular Cabinet minister as a possible target for removal.
"To single her out is to play into the hands of current factional battles in the ANC. When we consider the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, I think it will be prudent for us not to fall into the trap of nearly confirming the ANC's current factional battles," he said.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said it's going to be challenging for Ramaphosa to remove Sisulu. He said there must be proof that she has been incompetent in her discharge.
"Not so long ago, she was with David Mabuza indicating the work that she has done in Sedibeng with regards to the issues of water. If she is removed, it seems that it will not be because she has been a liability. Having said that, she is a political heavyweight and if you do that, you must be ready to face the consequences of that division and I don't think the President will have the audacity to do that. But if that happens, it will be the most audacious decision that Ramaphosa has taken," he said.