How Ramaphosa may be planning to chop government down to size

President Cyril Ramaphosa may not just be planning to trim his Cabinet, but could go far beyond that to reconfigure the entire government machinery, to enable it to run smoothly and deliver services to the people.

But this may not happen as soon as expected because Ramaphosa would like to consult widely before he makes a final decision.

Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko yesterday said the president was busy with a wide consultation process aimed at the reconfiguration of the government structure.

Diko could not be drawn into saying who Ramaphosa was consulting. However, it became clear from her statement to The Citizen that the plan was not merely focusing on the Cabinet reduction but something much bigger.

Diko used the term “macro-reconfiguration”, which was interpreted to point to a leaner Cabinet and fewer departments, and the possible restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and provincial administrations.

Diko was responding to a Bloomberg report that Ramaphosa was planning to establish a “super-economics ministry”.

It quoted three sources familiar with the matter, reporting that the president may create a super-ministry for economic policy as part of an overhaul of the Cabinet.

“The new ministry will combine various economic departments, including the National Treasury, to simplify policy formulation and avoid the duplication of roles,” the Bloomberg report quoted the sources.

The reassessment of the size of the Cabinet will dovetail with a review of the role SOEs play in the economy, they said.

But Diko described the report as “just speculation” over which she found it difficult to comment.

“It is mere speculation to say that he is considering setting up a super-economic ministry. That is not on the agenda. What is on the agenda is what is called macro-reconfiguration of the government structure.”

Political analyst Susan Booysen said although Diko was denying it, the idea of super-ministries made sense. She said there was a likelihood that various cluster departments would be regrouped.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said whatever way Ramaphosa put it, his ultimate objective was to cut the size of public service, which he saw as too big and a burden on the fiscus.

He said the use of the term macro-reconfiguration was “acceptable language” to dress up what was really coming.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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