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Minister Malusi Gigaba

Johannesburg —The African National Congress will hold a two-day meeting of its top body starting tomorrow, party spokesperson Pule Mabe said.

The meeting of the national executive committee will be held against the backdrop of growing speculation that newly elected President Cyril Ramaphosa is planning Cabinet changes, and several provincial leadership disputes in the party.

The NEC is holding its first meeting since Jacob Zuma resigned as president on February 14 under pressure from the party. Mabe confirmed the meeting by text message.

Among Ramaphosa’s most pressing priorities are to select a deputy president, a post he’d occupied since May 2014, and reshuffle the Zuma-appointed Cabinet. Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on Wednesday announced plans to raise VAT and curb spending in a bid to stabilise debt and prevent a third junk credit rating.

Ramaphosa, who was elected as ANC president in December, has promised to revive the struggling economy, create jobs and tackle corruption.

His appointment more than a year before national elections could help the ANC win back voters alienated by a succession of scandals, policy missteps and inappropriate appointments during Zuma’s nine-year tenure. — News24.