Ramaphosa reinforces Cabinet with his people

Jacob Zuma-styled patronage is back as his successor Cyril Ramaphosa increases, instead of reduces, his Cabinet.

The reconfiguration of the Cabinet achieved one purpose – the president reinforced it with his people. The majority of those appointed and retained in the Cabinet are Ramaphosa loyalists.

The exceptions are Ayanda Dlodlo, moved from state security to public service and administration, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Public Works Patricia de Lille and Lindiwe Sisulu, who was moved to tourism.

Ramaphosa cut out the state security department but then separated human settlements from water affairs and sanitation. He appointed his allies, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane and Senzo Mchunu, as ministers in the portfolios respectively.

The separation of the department meant appointing deputy ministers and they are David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi respectively.

The portfolio size expanded further as three portfolios emerged in the presidency and those were filled by Minister Mondli Gungubele and Deputy Ministers Pinky Kekana and Zizi Kodwa.

With Ramaphosa now in charge of state security and deputised by Kodwa, Bheki Cele retained as Police Minister, Ronald Lamola in charge of Justice and Correctional Services and former National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise appointed as Minister of Defence, the Ramaphosa faction has a stranglehold on the security cluster.

All the new faces appointed and those retained in Cabinet in one way or another participated in elevating him to power. Among the new faces are Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana, who was his campaign strategist towards Nasrec 2017.

With his stars rising in the party, following the implementation of the step-aside policy that saw key Zuma camp members such as ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule sidelined, Ramaphosa has now turned his attention on consolidating his power in the state.

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said: “Thursday’s reshuffle of Cabinet ministers is nothing more than an extension of the ongoing factionalism with in the ANC and an attempt by Ramaphosa to shore up support for himself.

“Ramaphosa continues to fail South Africans by failing to act decisively and in support of transparent, accountable and corruption-free governance.”

Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Pieter Groenewald said Ramaphosa missed a golden opportunity to reduce the size of his Cabinet by doing away with certain deputy ministers, especially in the presidency.

“The [department] of, for instance, women, children and people with disabilities could have been successfully combined with the department of social development and the same goes for combining tourism with small business development, as well as the departments of basic and higher education,” Groenewald said.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson Vuyani Pambo said the EFF had called on Ramaphosa to do away with deputy ministers, who were costly to the taxpayers.

“The continued insistence on deputy ministers when we are told that government has no money is yet another demonstration that the ruling party conference factional squabbles are more important than delivering water, sanitation, housing and education to our people,” Pambo said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za