Former minister of human settlements and erstwhile presidential hopeful Tokyo Sexwale has been kicked out of President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet.
Zuma announced his fourth Cabinet reshuffle in four years at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Sexwale formerly lobbied for the ANC presidency in 2007 – the same year that Zuma ousted Thabo Mbeki from that seat in the party’s fractious Polokwane conference.
Sexwale has also long been suspected of supporting former ANC Youth League president and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema – a perceived enemy of the president.
Sexwale will be replaced as minister by Connie September, an ANC MP and veteran unionist.
Zuma has also fired Dina Pule as minister of communications.
Pule’s axing will come as a welcome development to her detractors – she had been accused of funnelling contracts and government resources to her boyfriend during the controversial Information and Communication Technology Indaba.
Parliament and public protector Thuli Madonsela are investigating Pule’s conduct.
Pule's replacement
Pule will be replaced by Yunus Carrim, former deputy minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs. That position will be filled by Andries Nel, who formerly held the position of deputy justice and constitutional development minister.
Nel has been replaced by controversial ANC MP, John Jeffery, who was recently forced to apologise to the Democratic Alliance’s parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, for making derogatory comments about her weight.
Minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs Richard Baloyi has also been axed, and will be replaced by Lechesa Tsenoli.
Tsenoli previously held the position of deputy minister of rural development and land reform.
That position will now be filled by Pamela Tshwete, currently an ANC member of Parliament and the widow of the late safety and security minister Steve Tshwete.
Energy minister Dipuo Peters, credited with raising the profile of South Africa’s development in the fields of science and technology, has been moved to the transport ministry.
Peters will be replaced by Ben Martins, the former transport minister.