Ramaphosa Cabinet 2.0: Who’s In, Who’s Out, What It All Means

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his second cabinet reshuffle on Thursday afternoon, a change enforced by the death of the environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa, and the resignation of the home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba. The Daily Vox gives you the breakdown of which ministers are out, which are new, and which have been shown the door. (This list is a comparison to the cabinet announced after Ramaphosa’s first reshuffle in February 2018.)

It wasn’t so much a cabinet reshuffle as a filling in of old posts, in the end. The environmental affairs ministry went to Nomvula Mokonyane, and home affairs to Siyabonga Cwele – both of these ministers vacated the overlapping communications, and telecommunications and postal services departments, which the president has now merged into a single communications and telecommunications, headed by the only new appointee into the cabinet, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, formerly the deputy minister of telecommunications and postal services.

In his announcement, Ramaphosa said that the big changes he’s been threatening will come after the national elections next year, presumably when his mandate will be watertight, and his position within the ruling African National Congress party will be far more secure.

South Africans need to temper their expectations with regards to unpopular ministers like Bathabile Dlamini, given the balancing act that the president needs to carry out within his party and alliance partners, political analyst Tasneem Essop said in an interview with The Daily Vox.

“If he wanted to make big changes before the elections, he would have announced it in February, in his first reshuffle,” she said.

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In

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams – Telecommunications and Communications (promoted from deputy minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services)

Reshuffled

Siyabonga Cwele – Home Affairs

Nomvula Mokonyane – Environmental Affairs

Remains

David Mabuza – Deputy President

Senzeni Zokwana – Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Nathi Mthethwa – Arts and Culture

Angie Motshekga – Basic Education

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula – Defence and Military Veterans

Aaron Motsoaledi – Health

Michael Masutha – Justice and Correctional Services

Mildred Oliphant – Labour

Lindiwe Zulu – Small Business Development

Rob Davies – Trade and Industry

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Zweli Mkhize – Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Gwede Mantashe – Mineral Resources

Bheki Cele – Police

Pravin Gordhan – Public Enterprises

Nomaindia Mfeketo – Human Settlements

Tito Mboweni – Finance

Derek Hanekom – Tourism

Blade Nzimande – Transport

Jeff Radebe – Energy

Naledi Pandor – Higher Education and Training

Thulas Nxesi – Public Works

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane – Rural Development and Land Reform

Lindiwe Sisulu – International Relations and Cooperation

Bathabile Dlamini – Presidency: Women

Susan Shabangu – Social Development

Dipuo Letsatsi-Dube – State Security

Ayanda Dlodlo – Public Service and Administration

Thokozile Xasa – Sport & Recreation

Gugile Nkwinti – Water and Sanitation

Nkhensani Kubayi-Ngubane – Science and Technology

Out

Edna Molewa

Malusi Gigaba

Featured image via Flickr