Cape Town - The arrival of former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe in
Parliament has intensfied speculation that President Jacob Zuma will appoint
him into Cabinet to succeed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Zuma was expected to reshuffle his Cabinet anytime, and it was reported earlier
he was going to do it after the State of the Nation Address.
Parliament concluded the debate on the Sona this week.
On Friday, the institution announced that Molefe will be sworn in as an ANC MP.
Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga could not be reached for comment.
But ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu refused to comment, saying the Cabinet
appointments remained the prerogative of the President.
“I can’t respond on behalf of the President, that is an unfair question to the
chief whip,” he said.
Parliament said the presiding officers of Parliament will still decide the date
for the swearing-in of Molefe.
It confirmed that he will become an ANC MP.
“Parliament wishes to acknowledge the nomination of Mr Brian Molefe, to fill a
vacancy on the North West list of ANC MPs, which is depleted,” it said.
“Presiding officers of Parliament will determine a date for swearing him in as
a member of Parliament,” it added.
Gordhan is expected to table his Budget on Wednesday.
The arrival of Molefe is an indication his days at the Treasury were numbered.
A few months ago the ANC brought in businessman Sifiso Buthelezi to Parliament,
with reports suggesting he was going to succeed Gordhan.
However, more than a year later Buthelezi remained in the back benches of Parliament
and is a member of the finance committee in the National Assembly.
Gordhan’s job has been on the line for months, but Zuma has denied a Cabinet
reshuffle.
In a pre-Sona luncheon with the captains of industry in Cape Town, Zuma denied
he would make changes to his Cabinet.
He jokingly said if he did he would contact the journalists or put it on
twitter.
Gordhan returned to the Treasury in December 2015 after the ill-fated appointment
of Des van Rooyen as finance minister.
That decision wiped off more than R500 billion from the market.
Since his return to the treasury Gordhan has been involved in a fight with some
of state institutions.
He was recently charged by the National Prosecuting Authority for approving the
pension of former SARS senior official Ivan Pillay.
But the NPA later backtracked and dropped the charges.
At the time the finance minister received backing from the ANC and outside the
party.
Civil society also came out in his support.