13 Mar South Africa’s New Cabinet March 2023

Everyday We’re Shuffling – Our New Cabinet

Earlier this year, Rand Rescue took South Africans on a grand journey through the CVs of South Africa’s cabinet ministers. Just one month on and President Ramaphosa has given South Africans but one of several shocks in the form of a cabinet reshuffle.

The reshuffle itself wasn’t unexpected, as the president had stated that this was underway. What was, perhaps, surprising – are the choices for the new leaders in their respective posts.

Let’s take a look.

SA’s new cabinet: March 2023

Of particular importance for South Africans is the new posts announced in SoNA 2023 – the most pertinent one under the current weight of loadshedding. While there is much debate over whether a new ministry in charge of electricity would be able to turn the decrepit parastatal around.

It’s perhaps the first time that South Africans of opposing fronts have stood behind the EFF’s assertion that a minister of electricity is redundant given that the country already has a minister of energy and mineral resources as well as a minister of public Enterprises.

Nevertheless, let’s look at the president’s choices.

New posts:

 – Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity: Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
 – Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation: Maropene Ramokgopa

Ministerial changes:

 – Deputy President of South Africa: David Mabuza > Paul Mashatile
 – Minister in the Presidency: Mondli Gungubele > Khumbudzo Ntshavheni
 – Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies: Khumbudzo Ntshavheni > Mondli Gungubele
 – Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma > Thembi Nkadimeng
 – Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities: Maite Nkoana-Mashabane > Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
 – Minister of Public Service and Administration: Ayando Dlodlo > Noxolo Kiviet
 – Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure: Patricia de Lille > Sihle Zikalala
 – Minister of Tourism: Lindiwe Sisulu > Patricia de Lille
 – Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture: Nathi Mthethwa > Zizi Kodwa
 – Minister of Transport:  Fikile Mbalula > Sindisiwe Chikunga

Deputy Minister appointments:

 – Deputy Ministers in the Presidency: Nomasonto Motaung and Kenneth Morolong
 – Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities: Sisisi Tolashe
 – Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation: Pinky Kekana
 – Deputy Ministers for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Parks Tau and Zolile Burns-Ncamashe
 – Deputy Ministers for Water and Sanitation: David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala
 – Deputy Minister of Public Works: Bernice Swarts
 – Deputy minister of Small Business Development: Dipuo Peters
 – Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises: Obed Bapela
 – Deputy Minister of Transport: Lisa Mangcu

As a brief overview of what our ministers cost taxpayers, refer to Leon Schreiber’s post below:

It should be noted that the seats for Deputy Minister of both Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs as well as Water and Sanitation were doubled.

The outrage

South Africans were certainly looking forward to a revived cabinet with some fresh minds, but what we received was a lacklustre reshuffling of a frayed card deck. Much as in card games, it’s rather easy to determine the outcome of any scenario when you can identify the cards by their tattered marks and folds.

The ire isn’t merely that the president didn’t add fresh blood, but that he kept the same incompetence in place, or merely pushed it into new areas.

In his Daily Maverick opinion piece, Chairman of the Rivonia Circle Songezo Zibi notes that the president’s ‘new cabinet’ is a sign of a chaotic future for SA. He notes the questionable appointment of people like Zizi Kodwa, David Mahlobo and Sihle Zikalala and questions the guidance of the president’s closest counsel – ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula who has now been ousted from his post while holding fast to the president’s ear.

Perhaps the most scathing commentary was the president’s own words, “I have sought to balance the need for new skills and capabilities to drive the agenda we outlined in the State of the Nation Address with the important task of ensuring stability and continuity in the work of government.” as these words don’t reflect the changes made.

Bosa spokesperson Sbu Zondi noted that the president didn’t offer any cabinet changes that would actually address SA’s issues and that, “the same rotten apples were shuffled from one post to another – the polar opposite of what was needed in a time of socio-economic crisis”.

The most obvious criticism was aimed at the president’s decision to keep Bheki Cele as Minister of Police, Angie Motshekga as Minister of Basic Education, Gwede Mantashe as Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and Pravin Gordhan as Minister of Public Enterprises – given their respective track records.

Follow our next article for more…

For our next article Rand Rescue will take a look at the new appointees and decisions made during the reshuffle.

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Sources:

1. “President Cyril Ramaphosa: New Members Of National Executive | South African Government”. 2023. Gov.Za. https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-cabinet-reshuffle-6-mar-2023-0000.
2. Felix, J. “Cabinet Reshuffle Draws Ire Of Opposition Slamming It As A Gratuitous Bloating, Shifting Of ‘Rotten Apples’ | News24”. 2023. News24. https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/government/cabinet-reshuffle-draws-ire-of-opposition-slamming-it-as-a-gratuitous-bloating-shifting-of-rotten-apples-20230306.
3. Pillay, K. “Cabinet reshuffle a disappointment, says opposition parties.” 2023. IOL. https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/cabinet-reshuffle-a-disappointment-say-opposition-parties-7cadcf1e-f9ec-470f-82d5-bd966a26ca8e
4. “Full List – Here Is Ramaphosa’S New Cabinet”. 2023. Businesstech.Co.Za. https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/319988/full-list-here-is-ramaphosas-new-cabinet/.
5. “Ramaphosa Announces New Cabinet — All The New Ministers And Deputies”. 2023. Mybroadband.Co.Za. https://mybroadband.co.za/news/government/482639-ramaphosa-announces-new-cabinet-including-new-minister-of-communications.html.
6. “Is Cabinet Bloated? A Look At The Size Of The National Executive Under Zuma Vs Ramaphosa”. 2023. Timeslive. https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2023-03-07-is-cabinet-bloated-a-look-at-the-size-of-the-national-executive-under-zuma-vs-ramaphosa/ .
7. “WATCH | Mashatile, Ramokgopa Sworn In After Cabinet Reshuffle | News24”. 2023. News24. https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/watch-mashatile-ramokgopa-sworn-in-after-cabinet-reshuffle-20230307.
8. Zibi, S. “OPINIONISTA: Cabinet Reshuffle Leaves SA Just One Presidential Scandal Away From A Chaotic Mashatile-EFF Collaboration”. 2023. Daily Maverick. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2023-03-07-cabinet-reshuffle-leaves-sa-just-one-presidential-scandal-away-from-a-chaotic-mashatile-eff-collaboration/.