Transnet chairperson Mafika Mkhwanazi will remain in his post, Cabinet spokesman Jimmy Manyi said on Thursday, quashing speculation that he would be replaced following changes at Eskom and Denel earlier this month.

"I can confirm with you Mafika Mkhwanazi continues to be the chairman of Transnet," Manyi said at a briefing after Cabinet's regular fortnightly meeting.

Manyi announced that Yasmin Forbes and Nishi Choubey were appointed non-executive directors of the Transnet board for a three-year period.

"Two people have left, creating vacancies, so what has just been done now is to close those vacancies."

Manyi said Mkhwanazi's appointment to the Eskom board a fortnight ago should not be misread as sign that he would be replaced at Transnet, after his counterparts at Eskom and Denel were sacked.

It was widely expected that Mkhwanazi would be next to go amid reports that Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba tried and failed to convince Cabinet that he should be replaced by Transnet board member Iqbal Sharma.

Manyi said: "The only thing that has happened is that Mr Mkhwanazi was appointed also to the Eskom board. The fact that he has been appointed there has got no bearing on what else he does, so the two are not necessarily related."

The purge at Denel and Eskom, where all but two non-executive board members were sacked, was met with an outcry from unions backed by Cosatu, because Gigaba had not consulted them about the move.