President Cyril Ramaphosa address the nation on developments in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: GCIS
The ANC caucus in Parliament has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to rearrange the Cabinet, saying it fully supports the reshuffle.
Ramaphosa announced new ministerial positions and a restructured national executive on Thursday night. The President made four key changes affecting finance, defence, health and state security departments.
In a statement, ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said on Friday that the changes were necessary and aimed “at improving the capacity and effectiveness of the state machinery to carry out its constitutional obligations”.
“We wish the appointed cadres great strength and courage in fulfilling their leadership deployments and wish those who will no longer be part of the executive well in their future endeavours and thank them profusely for their service to the nation.
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“Caucus notes and appreciates that the country faces many pressing and urgent challenges and with these appointments we hope the government’s ongoing efforts of addressing the impact of Covid-19 on the lives of citizens will be bolstered,” Majodina said.
Majodina indicated that while South Africa was still fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, there needed to be a speedy rollout of the vaccine.
“We look upon this collective to ensure the continuation of the vaccine roll-out programme under adjusted alert level 3 as well speeding up initiatives aimed at rebuilding the economy through recovery measures as well as ensuring peace and security following the tragic events of the past few weeks.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rejected the reshuffle specifically, strongly criticising the appointment of Enoch Godongwana as the new minister of finance.
The Red Berets also expressed their dissatisfaction with outgoing Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams remaining in Cabinet as well Police Minister Bheki Cele.
“Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle demonstrates a lack of decisiveness, understanding of political leadership and governance. At the current rate, all ministries will end up as ministries in the presidency because the head of Cabinet is weak and suffers serious insecurities inside the political party he leads,” the party said in a statement.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, welcomed the resignation of Zweli Mkhize from his position as the minister of health, however, he raised concerns over the decision to move the State Security into the Presidency.
Steenhuisen said the Cabinet reshuffle also should have been an opportunity to fire both Cele and State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo as well as Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.
“Similarly, it is puzzling how Minister David Mahlobo has managed to hold on to his job given the damning revelations at the Zondo Commission,” the DA leader said on Twitter.
The Congress of the People (Cope) pointed out that the reshuffle was long overdue, further saying it lacked crucial changes, EWN reported.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) also criticised Dodlo’s redeployment due to the handling of the recent looting and violent unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng that left more than 300 people dead.
The newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday.
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