WATCH | 'Relax, have a cup of coffee': Ramaphosa 'applying' his mind to Cabinet reshuffle

• President Cyril Ramaphosa says he "will apply his mind" to a possible Cabinet reshuffle and announce his decision afterwards.
• Ramaphosa was elected ANC president for a second term at the party's national conference in December. 
  
• Vacancies in his executive and recent political shifts in the ANC's leadership have led to much talk about a possible reshuffle.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will decide on a Cabinet reshuffle when he has "applied his mind". 

The president said he understood that the topic of a change in his executive was top of mind for many people after the ANC's national conference in December, where he was elected as party president for a second term, beating former health minister Zweli Mkhize.  

But, at the party's golf day celebrations in Bloemfontein on Friday, he said he needed time.

"Wait for the moment when the president has applied his mind and stop asking when is that going to happen. The president will apply his mind, and as always, we will be coming to you all and the nation and telling you what will happen. Relax, have a cup of coffee, sit back and watch this space," Ramaphosa told the media ahead of golf day activities at the Bloemfontein Golf Club. 

Discussions on a possible Cabinet reshuffle followed swiftly after Ramaphosa's re-election. 

There's been some focus on whether Deputy President David Mabuza will be recalled after Paul Mashatile replaced him as the party's deputy president.

The ANC does not have rules on whether a leadership change in the party should automatically lead to a change in government deployment. However, after past ANC leadership conferences, the party quickly made changes to government deployments. Ramaphosa replaced former president Jacob Zuma in 2018 after his election as ANC president. 

In addition, many of the party's serving ministers did not make the cut for the national executive committee. A position in the ANC's highest decision-making body between conferences does not automatically entitle someone to a position as a minister. But in the past, presidents have pulled Cabinet appointments based on seniority in the party's top echelons. 

Fikile Mbalula's election as ANC secretary-general has also created a need for an ANC member to replace him as transport minister. Mbalula's position at the ANC headquarters is a full-time one.

A vacancy in the ministry of Public Service and Administration has also been left vacant since the departure of former minister Ayanda Dlodlo last year.

Earlier this week, Mbalula indicated that the ANC would resolve the Cabinet reshuffle matter in two weeks. 

The ANC is holding its 111th birthday celebrations in the Free State this weekend. Ramaphosa will address a rally on Sunday, outlining the party's political year ahead. 

While closing the ANC conference, he described the gathering as one where the ANC renewed its agenda. 

Ramaphosa said, "We emerge out of this conference feeling a sense of great renewal and more united than we were from the last conference. Everyone is going to coalesce around this new leadership. I think we are starting this year very well."