African press review 31 March 2017

South African President Jacob Zuma reshuffles cabinet and sacks Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a power struggle with powerful enemies inside the ANC trying to impeach him.

We start in South Africa and reactions to President Jacob Zuma's major reshuffle of his cabinet, marked by the axing of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and the appointment of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to replace him.

Media reports point to 20 strategic departments affected in the shake-up, including energy, transport, police and communications ministries.

Mail and Guardian says despite informing the ANC’s top six officials and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa of the reshuffle, Zuma was still expected to experience severe backlash.

BusinessDay says the appointment of a close Zuma loyalist Gigaba to replace Gordhan on Thursday sent the Rand tumbling by three percent as soon as the news broke. The paper says the currency could weaken further when the news sinks in this Friday morning.

The Citizen describes the shake-up as a purge of dissenting voices, adding that the removal from office of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas was a scheme to give him access to the national purse so he can fund networks which would help him survive politically.

Times Live reports that it had learnt from two senior ANC officials that prior to the shake-up, President Jacob Zuma had allegedly proposed a deal to opponents within the ANC offering to step down next year, at least 12 months before the end of his term, if he was allowed to replace Pravin Gordhan as Finance Minister.

Cape Times says the South African Communist party, one of the members of the ruling Troika, and the biggest losers in the shake having lost most of their representatives in cabinet vehemently rejected Zuma's plans to fire Gordhan, when he informed the party leadership of his intention.

The paper holds that Zuma's decision to go ahead with the reshuffle is a clear indication that the SACP may have lost the battle for the soul of the ANC. According to Cape Times, by getting the new cabinet down the throats of the ANC Big Six is proof that President Zuma will not quit and intends fulfilling his term right to the end.

Zuma “believes he has vast majority support across the country – and that this majority, will enable him to beat off the challenge of those who want him out”, according to the daily.

City Press says despite securing the endorsement of the reshuffle by the ANC’s top six officials, Gordhan's removal remained a dangerous gamble that could still spark “a bitter fight” in the party.

But the publication also believes that if Zuma plays his cards well he could emerge even stronger from the power struggle, to the point of hand picking his successor at the ANC’s national elective conference in December.