President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce his new Cabinet on Monday evening.
Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya announced this on Sunday during an engagement with media addressing the public discussion, including media coverage, of President Ramaphosa’s schedule and health during the course of this past week.
“Having exercised his constitutional prerogative, the President will announce the new National Executive at 7pm tomorrow, Monday, 6 March 2023.
“This will reinforce government’s focus – as the President said in the SONA – on those actions that will make a meaningful difference now, that will enable real progress within the next year and that will lay a foundation for a sustained recovery into the future,” Magwenya said.
Turning to the President’s health, Magwenya said that the President has attended to his duties while treating a common cold, throughout this week.
Magwenya quelled media reports and speculation on social media that the President postponed a Cabinet reshuffle announcement last Thursday due to ill health.
He recalled that the President’s discomfort was visible during his public appearances as part of the State Visit by his Ugandan Counterpart President Yoweri Museveni.
“Among the tasks the President undertook this week was continued consultation around forthcoming changes to the National Executive.
“But contrary to media coverage and speculation on social platforms, there was no plan for the President to announce changes to Cabinet on Thursday, the 2nd of March. As a result, there was no postponement or cancellation of such an announcement,” he said.
Magwenya told the media that on Friday President Ramaphosa honoured an engagement of the Ntaba Nyoni Cattle Stud, a dinner preceding an annual auction.
He said that the dates for these events were scheduled a number of months ago.
“In view of his discomfort, the President made a brief stop at Friday’s dinner – to greet guests. President Ramaphosa did not attend the auction itself the following day as his cold persisted and required that he should rest.
“The accusations and misinformation we have seen around this matter are therefore completely unjustified,” Magwenya said.
While the President is nursing his common cold, Magwenya said that he is finalising his reconfiguration of the National Executive.
Furthermore, he said there have been parliamentary processes such as the swearing in of certain members of Parliament that the President needed to take account of whilst he is finalising the formation of the executive.
“The President appreciates the importance of putting in place a National Executive that will build on the commitments government has made for faster growth through our investment drive, economic reforms, public employment programmes and an expanding infrastructure programme,” he said.
The Presidential spokesperson once again emphasised that the President is fully seized with and committed to his oath of office and the day-to-day tasks of leading the nation out of the difficulties the country faces.
