ebrahim patel cabinet reshuffle

Ebrahim Patel was sworn in as an MP on Monday morning ahead of President Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle. Image: Twitter/@MolotoMothapo

Trade and Industry Minister sworn in as MP ahead of cabinet reshuffle

Ebrahim Patel was one of two Ministers appointed from outside the National Assembly. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was sworn in last week.

ebrahim patel cabinet reshuffle

Ebrahim Patel was sworn in as an MP on Monday morning ahead of President Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle. Image: Twitter/@MolotoMothapo

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel, was sworn in as a member of parliament (MP) on Monday morning, 6 March. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce the changes to his cabinet at 19:00.

EBRAHIM PATEL SWORN IN AS MP

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said Patel was sworn in virtually by the National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Monday morning.

“Mr Patel was amongst two Ministers selected by the President from outside the Assembly in terms of the Constitution,” said Mothapo.

The other non-MP Minister, Enoch Godongwana, was sworn in last week, paving the way for Ramaphosa to appoint two more non-MP ministers to his cabinet.

READ: Finance Minister Godongwana sworn in as MP, making room for Electricity Minister

The President is widely expected to appoint an outsider as the new Minister of Electricity in the Presidency.

By law, Ramaphosa is allowed to appoint a maximum of two ministers from outside the National Assembly.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed Ramaphosa would reshuffle the cabinet at 19:00 on Monday.

The President will fill vacancies left in his cabinet, including the hole left by former Deputy President David Mabuza’s resignation.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was elected as ANC Secretary General, a full-time position, and will need to be replaced.

 A new Minister of Public Service and Administration is also needed as Ayanda Dlodlo left cabinet for a position on the board of the World Bank in 2022.

NEW CABINET MAY HAVE BEEN SHAPED AT DECEMBER CONFERENCE

At the ANC elective conference in December 2022, more than a dozen ministers and deputy ministers failed to make it into the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which is its decision-making body.

While becoming an NEC member does not necessarily mean an appointment to cabinet. The ANC Conference in Polokwane in 2007 determined it was preferable for those in government positions to be NEC members.

When David Mabuza declared his desire to resign, he spoke of the “importance of aligning party leadership with government responsibilities.”

Paul Mashatile replaced Mabuza at the ANC conference and is widely expected to be appointed deputy president in Ramaphosa’s new-look cabinet.

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