The jury’s out on whether transport minister Blade Nzimande will be staying on as Minister of Transport when President Cyril Ramaphosa announces his cabinet later this week.
At least one source told FTW Online that although Nzimande had been sworn in as a member of parliament, he believed it was unlikely that he would be kept on as minister in charge of the Department of Transport (DoT).
This is despite Nzimande being a staunch supporter of Ramaphosa in the ANC faction in which he finds himself.
Apparently a list has being doing the rounds containing names mooted for the DoT’s top spot.
Nzimande’s name apparently isn’t on the list and our source spoken was also non-committal about any other names on the list.
It is hoped that greater clarity will soon be gained as to the details contained in the mysterious list.
However, it can be confirmed that Ramaphosa is expected to ring in significant changes, fusing some departments to shrink the cabinet and administrative structure that ballooned under Jacob Zuma’s rule.
Culling cabinet to a more manageable and fiscally prudent size is one of the requirements ratings agency Moody’s has asked for to sustain South Africa’s sovereign debt rating above “junk”.
In what has been called “a big bang announcement” when Ramaphosa names his ministers and deputies, expectations point to Nzimande being one of the casualties of a new cabinet.
