Trollip and his backers demoted in reshuffling as Mazibuko names DA's new shadow cabinet

DEMOCRATIC Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko has flexed her muscles, making wholesale changes to her shadow cabinet and handing her old rural development portfolio to her predecessor, Athol Trollip.

Mazibuko, pictured, who allocated new portfolios to many experienced MPs, said of the wide-ranging changes: "Ultimately, this decision is mine".

Mazibuko took over from Trollip in October last year and had been expected to reshuffle her shadow cabinet in line with her vision for the party.

Her new shadow cabinet has now been arranged in clusters similar to those of President Jacob Zuma's cabinet.

Trollip becomes the shadow minister of rural development and land reform, a post he (Trollip) assigned to Mazibuko when he reshuffled his own shadow cabinet in 2010.

Some of Trollip's backers during the bruising campaign for parliamentary leader have either been reassigned to new portfolios or demoted.

These include respected former finance shadow minister Dion George, who has been moved to the standing committee on public accounts as shadow minister.

He has been replaced by Tim Harris, a fairly inexperienced MP who joined Parliament in 2009 and was shadow minister of trade and industry.

Former DA chief whip Ian Davidson, who backed Trollip, is now the shadow minister of international relations and cooperation.

Sej Motau, who was running as caucus chairman on the Trollip ticket, has been shuffled from the energy portfolio to labour as shadow minister.

Rebellious MP Mazisole Mnqasela retains his position as deputy shadow minister of home affairs, but relinquishes the position of counsellor to the parliamentary leader.

Mnqasela faces an internal disciplinary hearing for speaking out against Mazibuko during the leadership race.

Surprisingly, a number of MPs who excelled in their portfolios have now been given new responsibilities. These include long serving transport shadow minister Stuart Farrow, who moves to the tourism portfolio.

Kobus Marais moves from trade and industry to public service and administration.

Natasha Michael, who was shadow minister of communications, is now the party's shadow minister of public enterprises.

Anchen Dreyer has been moved from public service and administration to public works.

Lourie Bosman, who was recruited to the DA for his expertise in agriculture, has now been demoted to deputy shadow minister of higher education and training.

Sports shadow minister Donald Lee has also been demoted and is now serving as deputy in that portfolio. The new shadow minister is Winston Rabotapi.

Mazibuko said she deployed Trollip to rural development and land affairs because he was passionate about the subject and was proficient in isiXhosa.

Mazibuko also defended her decision to reshuffle experienced MPs or those who performed well in their previous portfolios.

"It's hard to put everybody in every single portfolio that they would have wanted to be in . but ultimately this decision is mine," she said.

Mazibuko also brought Independent Democrats MPs into the fold, allocating the substantive shadow ministry that overlooks the Presidency's National Planning Commission and Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation ministries to ID parliamentary leader Joe McGluwa.

This was part of the agreement struck when the two parties entered into a coalition that saw ID leader Patricia de Lille become mayor of Cape Town.