Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
28 February 2023 | 11:37 CAT

Image: News24

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for families who not only had to deal with Stage 6 loadshedding but were suddenly informed that they also needed to keep extra water at hand due to water scarcity – especially in Gauteng. And at the same time, the country waits with bated breath for President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce his new cabinet. What is a certainty is there will be a new deputy president, and that man is Paul Mashatile.

South Africa is set to have a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He’ll replace the incumbent, David Mabuza, who announced he would step down.

Highlighting more on the deputy president and the man Paul Mashatile, Radio Islam International speaks to Professor Keith Gottschalk.

Mashatile (61) is a veteran politician from the ANC, the party that has governed South Africa since democracy in 1994. He has occupied a dizzying array of posts and portfolios while climbing.

Mashatile has been continuously in party or state posts for 29 years. Though he battled with the ANC’s parlous financial plight before 2023 as treasurer, overall, his track record is a creditable performance.

David Mabuza was under the radar; nothing positive or negative happened when he was in the Union buildings as Deputy President.

Professor Gottschalk said Mashatile would be much more visible should he be appointed Deputy President.

“Judging by his track record, Paul Mashatile is likely to be more in the public eye and certainly doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes,” says Prof Gottschalk.

Meanwhile, Mashatile was cleared of any improprieties concerning his alleged misuse of a government credit card. More recently, allegations that he was involved in stealing one billion rands (now worth about US$55 million) for the Alexandra renewal project were exposed as smears because, in practice, no budget was ever allocated to the project.

Listen to the interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Host Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Professor Keith Gottschalk.