President Ramaphosa announces changes to Cabinet
The ministries of Communications and Telecommunications and Postal Services into a single Ministry of Communications
President Cyril Ramaphosa has started the process of realigning government, with the “first wave” resulting in the merger of the ministries of Communications and Telecommunications and Postal Services into a single ministry of Communications.
The President announced that this single ministry will be headed by the new Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. Prior to being appointed in the position, Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams was the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and also previously served as the Deputy Minister of Communications.
President Ramaphosa recently announced this and other changes to the Cabinet, which were occasioned by the passing of former Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa and the resignation of former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba.
The new appointments include Dr Siyabonga Cwele as the Minister of Home Affairs and Nomvula Mokonyane as Minister of Environmental Affairs.
Minister Cwele was previously the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services and Minister Mokonyane previously headed the the Department of Communications.
“In making these changes, I remain determined that the Cabinet of our nation should have an appropriate mix of experience and capability as well as gender and generational mix, and that it should have members who are committed to serve and to serve selflessly.
“I am mindful of the need to have a resolute and stable Cabinet that is able to effectively lead the growth, renewal and transformation of our economy and our society,” the President explained.
Elaborating on the decision to combine the ministries of Communications and Telecommunications and Postal Services, he said it is in line with the work undertaken in terms of the announcement he made during the State of the Nation Address, related to the realigning of government.
“This move is going to ensure that we have better alignment and coordination on matters that are critical to the future of our economy in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The two departments that will report to the new ministry – namely, the Department of Communications and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services – will remain as separate departments until the end of the fifth administration.”
President Ramaphosa added that the work looking into the realignment of government is ongoing.
“In anticipation of the 6th democratic administration we will have completed this work and when we have completed it, we will make a more comprehensive announcement on how we would have realigned government,” he said.
“The merging of Communications and of Telecommunications and Postal Services is the first wave, but it is also to help with the realignment process which we need right now in order to put into effect the transformation that we are effecting with regards to economic management,” explained the President.
President Ramaphosa also announced the resignation of the Deputy Minister of Energy, Thembi Majola, with effect from 1 January 2019, to attend to family commitments.