‘The streets are calling,’ says Malema on ANC’s ‘betrayal’ after cabinet announcement

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his Cabinet on Sunday night, receiving a mixed reaction from South Africans and political parties.

The Cabinet appointments included members from the DA, PA, FF Plus, and UDM, among others. However, this resulted in a bloated Cabinet despite earlier commitments to reduce its size.

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Some portfolios were separated to ensure that there is sufficient focus on key issues, said Ramaphosa.

“Given the challenges that the country faces today and considering the electoral mandate this government must implement, I have decided to make certain changes to the national government portfolios,” said Ramaphosa.

“In the course of the sixth democratic administration, we indicated our intention to reduce the number of portfolios in the national executive. However, due to the need to ensure that the national executive is inclusive of all the parties to the government of national unity, this has not been possible.”

EFF: The streets are calling

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has slammed Ramaphosa’s bloated Cabinet and the DA-ANC partnership.

Taking to social media, Malema hinted at the party taking to the streets to protest against Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.

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“The streets are calling; picket lines are part of the theatre of politics. Our generation can’t be part of the betrayal of generations before us, now or never,” said Malema.

In a statement, his party slammed Ramaphosa’s announcement, saying it was “essentially an ANC-DA Cabinet”.

The party previously indicated its intention to join the GNU only if the DA was excluded from it.

When its conditions could not be met, the party stayed away.

“It is even more concerning that this Cabinet has been increased and bloated. This signals more pressure on taxpayers to allow for the accommodation of racists and their policies in high positions of power,” said the party.

“The announcement by Ramaphosa confirms that the ANC has abandoned its historical role as a liberation movement in Africa. It has solidified its role as an instrument of white supremacy and domestic and global capital on the continent.

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“By gifting the DA six ministerial posts, and six deputy ministerial roles, on top of the position of deputy speaker of parliament, the ANC has surpassed the compromises they made in 1994.

“We will remain an effective opposition, whose sole responsibility will be to undermine the backward policy advancements of the ANC-DA grand coalition at all levels of government and on the picket lines.”

Maimane: Ministers’ perks should be removed

Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane congratulated DA’s Siviwe Gwarube for being appointed as the education minister. He, however, criticised what he called as an ANC-DA coalition.

Maimane slammed the bloated Cabinet and called for the removal of some perks included in ministerial positions.

He said Ramaphosa’s announcement confirmed a national coalition between the ANC and DA.

“This was on the cards from as early as 2021 despite assurances to the contrary by both parties,” said Maimane.

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“This is now one of the largest national executives we’ve seen in democratic South Africa.”

According to Maimane, these perks should be removed:

• Blue light brigades
• VIP security detail
• Million-rand luxury cars
• Business class flights
• Travel and catering benefits
• Free ministerial houses with generator to insulate ministers from load shedding

RISE Mzansi disappointed with enlarged cabinet

RISE Mzansi welcomed the announcement of the Cabinet and said the work of the 7^th democratic administration would finally begin.

However, the party was disappointed with the bloated Cabinet.

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“Fully conscious of the need to include as many parties as possible in the national executive, we are disappointed that the body has been enlarged, with some ministries being served by two deputy ministers,” said the party.

“While RISE Mzansi forms part of the government of national unity, we never made demands for executive positions nor were we offered positions in the executive.”

ActionSA on cabinet spending

Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA said the announcement of a bloated Cabinet was proof that parties would always place benefits above principles.

This, according to the party, was a “bad first impression”.

“Contrary to past commitments by both Ramaphosa and the DA, the appointment of 32 ministers and 42 deputy ministers shows that when they stand to benefit, their principles soon fall by the wayside,” said Mashaba.

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“South Africans have been calling for a reduction in the size of the Cabinet for years given that our country has one of the largest Cabinets in the world in the context of a country where most of its citizens languish in poverty and struggle to keep up with the cost of living.

“The Cabinet announced by Ramaphosa will collectively cost over R1 billion annually in benefits and perks, with R183 million allocated to salaries of ministers and deputy ministers alone.”