FIKILE Mbalula has dismissed a statement circulating on social media, claiming to reveal the names of new national cabinet members.
The statement, under the party’s letterhead, gave names of people who will allegedly form part of the new cabinet should the re-elected ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa choose to reshuffle his cabinet.
“The ANC dismisses the current circulating statements with proposals of names for national cabinet purporting to be originating from ANC’s Department of Information and Publicity,” said Fikile Mbalula, the newly elected ANC secretary-general.
He said that ANC’s original statements were circulated by the party’s media platforms only, and not by any other person.
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“The era of fake news seeking to influence ANC outcomes are over. The ANC will speak for itself,” he said.
The fake statement dated 30 December, mentioned among other people, the removal of Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, to be replaced by her current deputy Thembi Nkadimeng, and Zizi Kodwa to take over as transport minister, replacing Mbalula.
The statement comes days before the ANC resumes with their hybrid elective conference to be held on Thursday, 5 January.
The sitting, which was discussing crucial policy aspects, was adjourned after the party’s 55th conference met with some delays.
After the conclusion of the hybrid conference and the finality of the party’s policies, the country will be waiting to hear if Ramaphosa will be making changes to his cabinet.
With the reshuffle on the cards, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Dlamini-Zuma, may not be in cabinet after they both called for Ramaphosa to resign and criticised him publicly.
Minister of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan may also be replaced as a minister after he did not make it into the National Executive Committee.
