Zuma justifies reshuffle, calls for unity
We expect the changes to add renewed energy into cabinet and the executive
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma used the Transnet locomotive unveiling to justify last week’s cabinet reshuffle to South Africans and call for unity in the country.
Zuma, among other things, said the country’s cabinet and executive needed young blood to take on leadership positions.
“In the past week, I made changes to the national executive. We expect the changes to add renewed energy into cabinet and the executive as a whole,” he told the audience.
He was speaking at the Transnet Engineering Centre in Koedoespoort in Pretoria, where a Trans-Africa locomotive was officially unveiled.
This was the first time the country heard the reasons behind the Thursday evening reshuffling of the cabinet which caused an uproar.
“We are proud of having added many young ministers, which is an investment in the future of government leadership. If we do not enable our young MPs to gain experience now, we may battle in future with leadership and government experience within the national executive,” he said.
He congratulated the new ministers and deputy ministers. Regarding the finance portfolio, he said that although the political leadership had changed, government’s overall policy orientation remained the same, and it would remain committed to a major fiscal consolidation that stabilised the rise in public debt.
“We extend our gratitude and appreciation to minister Pravin Gordhan and deputy minister Mcebisi Jonas for their contribution to strengthening the National Treasury and the finance portfolio.”
He also thanked Gordhan for ensuring a smooth transition to new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba.
Without directly mentioning South Africa’s downgraded credit rating to junk status by Standard & Poor’s on Monday, Zuma said stabilising the country’s economy remained a priority.
“Gigaba and his team will also be reaching out to the international investor community very urgently to assure them that SA remains a stable, reliable and competitive investment destination. “They will build on the good work that has been done thus far,” Zuma said.
He tasked Gigaba and his deputy with immediately prioritising unity, peace, cohesion and stability within the finance portfolio which, Zuma said, would enable all components of the portfolio to focus on the tasks at hand.
He said there was a need to re-focus and re-prioritise to radically transform the economy as decided by the ANC in 2012.
“We thus remain firm in our call that the economy needs to include the black majority in the ownership and control so that we can have sustainability into the future. We will work with the private sector and labour to achieve the goals of meaningful radical economic transformation.”
After unveiling the train, Zuma was whisked out of the venue before media could ask any questions relating to his explaining the reasons behind his cabinet reshuffle.
The event closed soon after Zuma left the centre, without the Transnet group chief executive Siyabonga Gama having a turn behind the podium to explain the features or strengths of the locomotive.