Godongwana made MP with cabinet reshuffle looming

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana was sworn in as a lawmaker on Tuesday, in a possible prelude to changes to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.

Under South African law, Ramaphosa can appoint two people to his cabinet who are not members of parliament. Until Tuesday, Godongwana was one of two ministers who wasn’t an MP – the other is trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel.

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who heads up the infrastructure office in the presidency and isn’t a lawmaker, has been touted as a candidate for the newly created portfolio of electricity minister.

Expectations of a cabinet reshuffle have intensified since Ramaphosa secured a second term as president of the governing ANC in December, and a number of his allies were elected to senior positions in the party. There has been no speculation that Godongwana will be moved from his portfolio.