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South Africa’s national assembly speaker, Baleka Mbete, has finally answered the million dollar question that the public has been dying to hear since the cabinet reshuffling news broke.

President Jacob Zuma does not need to consult anyone if he wants to reshuffle his cabinet. Yes, you heard right. He does not need to consult with anyone before making changes about the cabinet.

“There is no ANC process that requires the president to come and have a conference with us about reshuffles…it’s not like there is a rule that obliges him to come and have a discussion about his thinking,”‘ said Mbete.

“The president called me on Thursday and told me what was going to be announced, but not the detail,” Mbete added.

Last week Zuma ordered Gordhan to cancel meetings with investors in the UK and the US and return home on Monday, a day after he had flown to London to begin the week long roadshow in Britain and the United State.

The order to call the former minister and his deputy were all part of much anticipated cabinet reshuffle which kept the nation awake. At midnight on Thursday and in the early hours of Friday morning last week Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas  were part of many that were axed.

The Rand has been taking a dip since Pravin was instructed to come back to the country, reports indicated that the rand fell by around 1.7 percent to the dollar after, at around 5:50 am Monday the 27th of March, the Rand had extended its recent gains trading at R12,33 to the dollar.

Related article: Twitter Reacts: The weakening rand and updates on the Gordhan/ Zuma debacle

While many expected the reshuffling, many thought that the president would need to consult a few people before the reshuffling.

The controversial reshuffling lead to the #BlackMonday Movement calling on South Africans to wear black in solidarity against the #CabinetReshuffle but it seems like the request stirred a lot of racial tension rather than unity.

In case you’ve missed the reshuffling, read the new ministers along with the axed ministers.

  • Member of Parliament Thando Mahambehlala is now the deputy Minister of Communications.
  • Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Elizabeth Thabethe is now the deputy in the tourism ministry.
  • Member of Parliament Bongani Mkongi is the deputy Minister of Police.
  • Former deputy Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is now deputy Minister of telecommunications.
  • And Member of Parliament Nomathemba November is now the deputy Minister of Small Business Development.
  • Deputy Arts and Culture Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi and deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas are deputies that have been fired.
  • The new deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration is former Limpopo Sports MEC Dipuo Letsatsi Duba.
  • The deputy Minister for Finance is Sifiso Buthelezi and MP and former Prasa board chairperson.
  • Former Transport Minister Ben Martins has made a return to government, this time as Public Enterprise deputy minister.
  • Former deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu is now the deputy Minister of Arts and Culture.
  • Former deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Gratitude Magwanishe is now the Trade and Industry deputy minister, replacing Mzwandile Masina.

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