When Cyril Ramaphosa announced the latest Cabinet Reshuffle late Monday night, it was plain to see that his hands were tied on certain fronts.

That’s the only reason the likes of Bathabile Dlamini and Malusi Gigaba could hang onto a job, and the fact that the announcement was delayed by 90 minutes points to plenty of last-minute negotiating going on.

[By the way, if you missed Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s brilliant speech at the swearing in of the new ministers on Tuesday, you will want to pop in here.]

So why did Ramaphosa end up going with controversial politician David Mabuza as deputy president, despite the litany of allegations against him?

According to those in the know over on Times LIVE, he didn’t have much choice:

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been “hung, drawn and quartered with his heart cut out while alive” in his forced marriage to his deputy…

Known as “DD”, Mabuza was, until Monday night, premier of Mpumalanga and also the recently elected deputy president of the ruling party.

It was the votes from this powerful ANC province that ultimately helped Ramaphosa succeed Jacob Zuma as president.

Mabuza’s reward: Elevation to the position of South Africa’s second most powerful man, an appointment political analysts say Ramaphosa would have fought tooth and nail.

According to political analyst Professor Shadrack Gutto, it’s a tactical move that Cyril was forced into, and one that could become toxic in the months that follow:

“It’s a difficult balancing act. Mabuza was always pushing for a pro-president Jacob Zuma ANC administration, with Mabuza having indicated before that he sees Ramaphosa as a temporary president.

“It is clear that tensions are simmering. What will be interesting will be who will be the more temporary of the two in this forced marriage, which seems a necessity as the 2019 national elections approach.”

Rather worryingly, political expert Aubrey Matshiqi says it’s a clear indicator of how our president’s powers are severely limited:

“Mabuza, who is not the ideal candidate to become the party and country’s next president, is a product of the balance of forces as they existed at the ANC’s 2017 elective conference.

“Mabuza’s appointment illustrates that no president makes full cabinet appointments of his own choosing, with a degree of the appointments imposed on presidents”…

“Mabuza constitutes a threat not as deputy president, but rather as an ANC mover and shaker who can define Ramaphosa’s life inside the party…

It comes down to Ramaphosa’s own political survival.”

In case you’d forgotten exactly how dirty every game of political chess in this country is, consider yourself reminded.

As for keeping NDZ and Dlamini in his cabinet, the Citizen’s analysts believe it’s the old ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ approach:

Analysts said it was a balancing act to satisfy the demands of all the various camps within the ANC-led tripartite alliance.

But at the same time, it was to bring Dlamini-Zuma and Dlamini into close range in order to monitor them in view of the fact that both have been his political foes…

Political analyst Professor Steven Friedman said Ramaphosa wanted to bring the two closer to him so they were easier to monitor as leaders of the opposing faction of the ANC.

“They have less room to move than in ordinary [departments].

“This is likely to apply mostly to Dlamini,” Friedman said.

This was echoed by Andre Duvenhage, a political scientist at North West University, who said Ramaphosa’s guiding philosophy was to balance the interests of different factions within the tripartite alliance.

“Keeping Dlamini-Zuma close to him is very important for Ramaphosa because she is influential and has strong links to the Zuma camp.

“But I personally give Ramaphosa credit for this Cabinet. If his aim is to achieve stability and unity in the ANC, this is good for him as a leader and for the party,” Duvenhage said.

Sure, but tell that the women of South Africa, stuck with Dlamini as their government minister.

Consider that a massive slap in the face.

[sources:timeslive&citizen]