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.
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