MANTASHE: CABINET RESHUFFLE WILL HURT ANC ALLIANCE WITH SACP

Mantashe says that Zuma's axing of SACP leader Blade Nzimande has worsened what he has described as an alliance at its lowest.

FILE: ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe briefing the media. Picture: Kgothatso Mogale/EWN

Clement Manyathela
Eyewitness News

JOHANNESBURG - ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe says that President Jacob Zuma's Cabinet reshuffle, which saw Blade Nzimande being axed as Higher Education Minister, will impact negatively on the alliance between the ANC and the SACP.

The president announced his 11th Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, which included moving ministers who started new portfolios less than 8 months ago.

Mantashe says that Zuma's axing of SACP leader Blade Nzimande has worsened what he has described as an alliance at its lowest.

He says that the ANC and the SACP were just starting to pull towards each other.

"After about six months we had just had an allaince secretariat meeting to pull it together again and this reshuffling of the general secretary of the party is going to undo some of the work that was done in that meeting.

He says he hopes Nzimande will still be with the party as an MP.

Mantashe described Nzimande's axing as a pity, saying that he is highly regarded in the ANC.