ANC: Manuel, others to stay on

2008-09-23 17:16

Johannesburg - Six of the 14 Cabinet ministers who quit on Tuesday, including Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, are willing to serve again, the ANC said on Tuesday.

"There is no crisis," ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg.

Asked whether Manuel would be reappointed in his position, Mantashe simply replied: "We will not be appointing Trevor as the minister of finance. Trevor is the minister of finance."

"We spoke to everyone on that list," said Mantashe, referring to a statement the Presidency issued earlier in the day announcing that 14 ministers had resigned.

"Having done that, we can confirm that there's no crisis. Six of the ministers have confirmed they would not come back," he told reporters in Johannesburg.

They are Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils and Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, and Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi.

ANC ready to fill positions

Seven ministers - Manuel, Public Services and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Public Works Minister Thoko Didiza, Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad, Deputy Correctional Services Minister Loretta Jacobus and Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi - had indicated they were willing to stay on.

"Our expectation is that comrade Kgalema [Motlanthe] will ask them to stay on," said Mantashe.

Science and Technology Minister Modibudi Mangena who is also the president of the Azanian People's Organisation and who announced his resignation on Monday, was a "function of discussion between the ANC and Azapa", said Mantashe.

He did not want to be drawn on candidates for the vacant positions, saying only the ANC was ready to fill those positions.

Mantashe did not want to comment on whether he believed the Presidency had been irresponsible to issue the statement announcing the resignations, which immediately saw the rand fall sharply.

It recovered when the Treasury announced that Manuel was willing to stay on.

"I think that question must be directed to the president. We don't want to make any assumptions. We give people the benefit of the doubt but we must correct any [wrong] perceptions."

Mantashe said the ministers were under the impression that all ministers were required to resign as a matter of procedure following Mbeki's announcement on Sunday that he would step down.

He said the ANC moved "with speed" to correct any wrong perceptions that resulted from the Presidency's statement.

"That is not a sign of a crisis, it is a sign of an organised organisation," said Mantashe.

He added that he hoped there would be no more resignations.

"If there are any, we would go back to those ministers and talk to them."

- SAPA