Given the highly anticipated Cabinet reshuffle announcement that is scheduled to take place on Monday evening, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has encouraged President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritise the interests of the country and appoint competent leaders with the necessary skills and integrity.

IFP spokesperson and Member of Parliament Mkhuleko Hlengwa opined that “this reshuffle must not pander to the competing priorities of the ANC.” 

The IFP acknowledges that the President has the prerogative to appoint a new Cabinet but the party is urging Ramaphosa to ensure that accountability and transparency epitomise the ethics associated with the incoming Ministers. 

The IFP also wants Ramaphosa to outline the details of how the performances of Ministers in his incoming Cabinet will be assessed.

The party asserted that Ramaphosa should consider the negative effects of continued rolling blackouts and how it had led to South Africa’s subsequent economic decline.

Further, Hlengwa noted that as far back as 2019, research had indicated that South Africa had one of the highest numbers of Cabinet Ministers in relation to its population. 

The IFP wants Ramaphosa to streamline “his very obviously bloated Cabinet”.