President Cyril Ramaphosa walked the political tightrope on Monday evening when he changed his cabinet. Such events are naturally tricky, considering the myriad of political constituencies to placate against growing public expectations for dramatic action.
Ramokgopa is walking into a political battlefield and may struggle to create room for himself. To succeed, he would have to prise power away from Gordhan and Mantashe, an unlikely scenario as the two also fly the flag for Ramaphosa in a fictionalised ANC. His word and instructions to Eskom would carry no legal force as the company falls under a different political figure.
Monday’s reshuffle also demonstrated a continuing trend where Ramaphosa loads the presidency with more people than his predecessors did. The presidency now has two ministers, two deputies, the deputy president and Ramaphosa. A “super presidency” will not, on its own, automatically lead to an efficient administration.