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Ramaphosa's reshuffle didn't meet expectations - analysts

The Cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa has not met the country's expectations, political analysts say.

"I don't think it was a reshuffle ... The reshuffle didn't signal a major exit which was expected in the country."

Ralph Mathekga said there was nothing significant about Ramaphosa's reshuffle.

"The biggest entry was Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. It is very interesting that people like Nomvula (Mokonyane) are staying in Cabinet. People wanted to see Minister Bathabile (Dlamini) out of the Cabinet."

Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that Ndabeni-Abrahams would head up the communications ministry and oversee the Department of Telecommunications. Siyabonga Cwele moves from telecommunications to replace Malusi Gigaba as home affairs minister, while Mokonyane becomes environmental affairs minister.

"Minister Bathabile Dlamini didn't perform well in her portfolio. She has demonstrated peculiar capabilities," he said.

Another political analyst, Levy Ndou said the removal or reshuffling of Dlamini would have sparked outrage against Ramaphosa within the ANC.

'Forced reshuffle'

Ndou claimed Ramaphosa would probably not have made any changes had it not been for the death of former Minister Edna Molewa and the recent resignation of former Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba.

"If this was a football game, the reshuffle would have been called a forced replacement. When [Edna] Molewa died, there was no replacement. Gigaba resigned, President Ramaphosa could not leave the home affairs department vacant.

"He had no other choice but to ensure that Gigaba is politically replaced. Other than that, the president would not have acted."

Many people were expecting Dlamini to face the chop, but this was a "forced reshuffle", Ndou continued.

"If this wasn't a forced reshuffle, Bathabile Dlamini is a candidate for removal. However, Ramaphosa had to look at the upcoming elections and stability of the organisation before he could touch Dlamini.

"She is the weakest candidate. She has been in the forefront campaigning for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma last year during the ANC elective conference. And if she was removed, many would have thought that she was purged for campaigning against Ramaphosa."

Ndou added that Ramaphosa lived up to his promise of reducing some departments by combining the communications and telecommunications departments.

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