Free State Premier, Sisi Ntombela, earlier confirmed she is going to reshuffle her cabinet, but did not say when Free Staters can expect an announcement.

ANC Chief Whip in the provincial legislature, Neels van Rooyen, said, in an interview with OFM News, individual departments will already start tabling their provincial budgets in two week’s time. 

Ntombela is thus expected to announce her successor as Free State Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC by then already. Katleho Morapela reports that speculation on the reshuffling are rife.

Van Rooyen says the ANC in the legislature is currently having a vacancy. He says the party should have 22 members, but there are currently only 21. 

He says an ANC member from outside the legislature should thus be sworn in. 

The question is whether Ntombela would appoint an MEC from within the legislature or whether the new member would also be her new MEC. 

According to ANC sources predictions are that Ntombela would make drastic changes, which might see some MECs left out in the cold. 

Meanwhile, Premier’s Spokesperson, Tiisetso Makhele, told OFM News that the premier will make pronouncements regarding her cabinet reshuffle on the right time and her office will then engage the media.

OFM News