While all the news focused on the axing of Pravin Gordhan, the former finance minister was not the only one to fall entirely out of the Cabinet. These are those who lost their positions and were not moved sideways:
Pravin Gordhan
After months of strife, which included a bizarre set of questions sent by the Hawks, the former finance minister was finally deposed, allegedly on the strength of an intelligence report compiled for President Jacob Zuma which claimed that he was secretly meeting with people overseas to plan an "overthrow of the state."
Derek Hanekom
The former tourism minister has been one of Zuma's strongest critics. Last year, following a string of scandals and a poor local elections campaign, he led a failed revolt against the president in the African National Congress' national executive committee. He was backed by Thembelani Nxesi, Aaron Motsoaledi and Jackson Mthembu.
Ngoako Ramatlhodi
As minister of mineral resources, he was one of the people who stepped forward to confirm that he had been approached by representatives of the Gupta family. He was quickly moved aside for Mosebenzi Zwane, and sent to the public service and administration portfolio.
Dipuo Peters
Peters has been the minister in charge while several state-owned enterprise scandals rolled on, and on. She shut down a probe into the various dodgy deals surrounding the Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) last year, and most recently dissolved the entire board over the controversy. (Some of the board members are suing her in court.) She also pulled the same move on the Airports Company South Africa board.
Tina Joemat-Pettersson
The energy minister's case is a strange one. A staunch defender of Zuma, she was in charge of easing the lucrative nuclear deal through the various processes, but couldn't do it. She's been replaced by Mmamoloko Kubayi, one of the members of Parliament who greenlighted former police minister Nathi Nhleko's discredited Nkandla report.
The fired deputy ministers:
Mcebisi Jonas
Rejoice Thizwilondi Mabudafhasi
Thandi Tobias-Pokolo
