Aftershock!
Ronelle Ramsamy
A STRING of 14 Cabinet resignations have followed since the bow-out of President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday.
Of the top brass, first to go was Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, along with Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad and Science & Technology Minister, Mosibudi Mangena.
But bigger shocks came later in the day on Tuesday with mass resignations from, among others, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and his Deputy Minister, Jabu Moleketi.
However, Manuel later announced that he was willing to accept re-appointment and the ANC confirmed that he would get his job back. The ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe also said that seven ministers and deputies who resigned had indicated that they were willing to stay on. These include, Public Services and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Public Works Minister Thoko Didiza, Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad, Deputy Correctional Services Minister Loretta Jacobus and Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi.
President Mbeki has, to date, received letters of resignation from the following members of Cabinet, which, regretfully, he has had to accept:
1 Deputy President
2 Minister of Defence
3 Minister of Finance
4 Minister in the Presidency
5 Minister of Intelligence
6 Minister of Correctional Services
7 Minister of Public Enterprises
8 Minister of Science and Technology
9 Minister of Public Works
10 Minister of Provincial and Local Government
11 Minister of Public Service and Administration.
The following Deputy Ministers have also tendered their resignations:
1 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
2 Deputy Minister of Finance
3 Deputy Minister of Correctional Services.
The resignations will be effective from the day the President's resignation takes effect.
All the Ministers have expressed their availability to assist the incoming administration in the handover process.
Parliament is widely expected to choose ANC deputy leader, Kgalema Motlanthe, as president on Thursday after the ANC nominates him from the floor.
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