The good, the bad and the shocking
President Jacob Zuma announced his new cabinet last week. Thabo Mokone and Sibongakonke Shoba assess some of the appointments
THE GOOD
MIKE MASUTHA JUSTICE MINISTER Masutha is an advocate and a veteran MP who has served in the National Assembly’s justice committee, the parliamentary rules committee and as whip of the ANC caucus.
Armed with an LLB degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Masutha — who is partially blind — is respected by many both inside and outside the ANC for his technical understanding of the operations of the legal sector.
Masutha was admitted as an advocate before reaching the age of 30 and has previously served as a member of the Magistrates’ Commission, which is responsible for ensuring proper conduct on the part of magistrates.
He has also had a short stint as deputy minister of science and technology. NALEDI PANDOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTER The former chairman of the lowprofile National Council of Provinces, Pandor has been one of the most competent ministers since entering the cabinet as education minister in 2004.
She had her first stint as science and technology minister in 2009, but was later redeployed to the Department of Home Affairs after a cabinet reshuffle in October 2012.
At home affairs, Pandor oversaw the roll-out of the long-awaited “smart card” identity documents and improved turnaround time for the delivery of new passports and identity documents. NHLANHLA NENE FINANCE MINISTER Nene has emerged as the most suitable candidate to take over from Pravin Gordhan, who has moved to cooperative governance. Nene joined the Treasury in 2008 when he was appointed deputy finance minister by former president Kgalema Motlanthe following the resignation of Jabu Moleketi when Thabo Mbeki was recalled from office. Prior to that, he was the chairman of the finance committee in the National Assembly.
Nene has a B.Com honours degree from the University of the Western Cape and other economic policy diplomas from the University of South Africa and the University of London. AARON MOTSOALEDI HEALTH MINISTER If Zuma’s cabinet were a classroom, Motsoaledi would be the only “A” student.
Even the opposition parties have failed to find fault with his performance and he has topped their cabinet score cards year after year.
Motsoaledi’s antiretroviral drugs roll-out programme has led to an increase in the number of HIV patients on the treatment, which has increased the average life expectancy of South Africans. He is now piloting the National Health Insurance scheme, aimed at giving poor citizens access to quality healthcare.
However, Motsoaledi’s department faces challenges of overcrowding at public hospitals, a shortage of health professionals and medicines, and overworked and demoralised hospital staff. PRAVIN GORDHAN COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE MINISTER
The former minister of finance has been one of the star performers in Zuma’s cabinet.
Gordhan is widely credited with keeping the economy afloat during the difficult times of the global financial meltdown.
Under him, the National Treasury has made unpopular decisions, including the introduction of austerity measures that cut the luxuries enjoyed by senior government officials at taxpayers’ expense. His removal from the Treasury was largely influenced by leftists in the ANC-led alliance, who believe he supports policies that are not in the best interests of the working class.
Gordhan faces a daunting task in fixing the municipalities that are in disarray. All eyes will be on him to see whether he can get dysfuntional municipalities, many of which have no tax revenue base and no capacity, to improve service delivery. MALUSI GIGABA HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER The energetic Gigaba is a rising star in the ruling ANC and the government. During his tenure as public enterprises minister, he was an “active” shareholder who intervened in state-owned enterprises.
He was instrumental in the shakeup at the ever troubled South African Airways that resulted in the adoption of a new turnaround strategy, the ninth in 13 years. He also applied pressure on power utility Eskom to speed up the construction of additional power stations — Medupi and Kusile — following disruptions at the two plants. He lobbied the ANC and the government to declare coal a strategic asset and introduce measures to ensure enough was available for power production. After heading a successful ANC election campaign, Gigaba has been promoted to one of the most strategic departments. He knows the Department of Home Affairs well, having served as deputy minister in the department during its turnaround period from 2004 to 2010. HENDRIETTA BOGOPANE-ZULU SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPUTY MINISTER The former deputy minister of public works was made a scapegoat in the ministerial task team investigation into the R246-million upgrades at President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home. Her colleagues in the cabinet accused her of interfering in the implementation of the project and recommended that action be taken against her.
However, Bogopane-Zulu was cleared by public protector Thuli Madonsela, who found that her involvement was to push the contractors to move with speed in implementing the project. In her report, Madonsela said Bogopane-Zulu also proposed that facilities such as the infamous swimming pool ought to benefit the community.
Madonsela’s report portrayed her as a leader with the interests of the people at heart. In her previous post as deputy minister of women, children and people with disabilities, Bogopane-Zulu — whose sight is impaired — fought for the rights of women and the disabled and performed her duties with diligence.
THE BAD
FIKILE MBALULA SPORTS MINISTER The sports and recreation minister is the only senior ANC figure among those who opposed Zuma’s re-election as party leader who has survived the chop.
His popularity in the ANC — he came sixth on the list of 400 candidate MPs voted for by party branches last year — meant that Zuma could not risk dumping him from the executive.
Yet as sports minister Mbalula has brought nothing but controversy on himself.
His love for US celebrities earned him the nickname “Beyoncé” in ANC circles after he tried to lure the R&B star to perform at the South African Sports Awards at a cost of R17-million.
He also came under fire for calling Bafana Bafana players “a bunch of losers” after the team crashed out of the African Nations Championship in January. BHEKI CELE AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES DEPUTY MINISTER The new deputy minister of agriculture left public office in disgrace in 2012 after being found guilty of wrongdoing in the saga involving the leasing of a new police building.
As national police commissioner, Cele was an extremely controversial public servant. His “shoot to kill” approach to crime fighting has been blamed for encouraging police brutality. Despite his appointment as a deputy minister, Cele is challenging his 2012 axing as national police commissioner in court. He has no experience in agriculture. TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON ENERGY MINISTER As fisheries minister, Joemat-Pettersson performed badly, often clashing with industry stakeholders over her mismanagement of fishing rights and engaging in public spats with her parliamentary oversight committee.
One of the public spats was so bad that MPs, including some from her own party, accused her of being a liar and contemplated seeking the intervention of former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe in his capacity as the leader of government business.
Given her track record in the agriculture portfolio, it remains to be seen whether Joemat-Pettersson will prove her detractors wrong and keep South Africa’s lights on by delivering the desperately needed new Medupi and Kusile power stations. BATHABILE DLAMINI SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER Dlamini is probably the most controversial minister to occupy the social development portfolio.
Under her watch, the department has been accused of dishing out food parcels and blankets at political rallies in what critics said were attempts to bolster the ANC’s election campaigns.
On the eve of her appointment last week, it emerged that taxpayers’ money may have been used to fund the funeral of Dlamini’s brother in KwaZulu-Natal and to provide bodyguards for her family and her spokeswoman.
Dlamini made no attempt to explain or justify the spending and was kept on in the department that manages billions of rands in social grants. MILDRED OLIPHANT LABOUR MINISTER Oliphant was retained in the portfolio to which she was appointed in 2010, despite a less than impressive track record.
She has failed to come up with interventions to prevent strikes or rein in labour unions.
She scored a political own goal when she introduced regulations that compel employers to use national demographics when hiring or promoting workers even in provinces where population profiles are dif- ferent to the national norm.
The ANC’s political opponents in provinces such as the Western Cape used this as ammunition during the election campaign.
Oliphant’s embarrassed department announced this week that its controversial employment equity regulations have now been dropped.
THE SHOCKING
LYNNE BROWN PUBLIC ENTERPRISES MINISTER The elevation of Brown, who briefly served as premier in the Western Cape before becoming a backbencher in the provincial legislature, to one of the cabinet’s most important portfolios took many by surprise.
She is a new entrant in the national government sphere and her influence in Western Cape politics has been on the wane after she, along with others, was booted out of ANC provincial leadership structures following factional battles.
Brown is among ANC Western Cape leaders whom the party’s national leadership slated for offering only weak opposition to the DA administration in the province.
Among the challenges facing Brown now is sorting out the board- room battles plaguing South African Airways.
FAITH MUTHAMBI
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER The politician from Limpopo first came to parliament after the 2009 elections.
Muthambi has been serving as an ANC backbencher, representing the party on the standing committee on public accounts and on the communications portfolio committee, where she did not shy away from asking difficult questions of government officials and the CEOs of parastatals.
Muthambi will be in the spotlight as she tackles problems at the SABC, such as the long-standing dispute over the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as acting chief operations officer.
She will also have to search for a new director-general for the anchor agency of her new ministry, the Government Communication and Information System, which has been without a permanent head for some time.
NATHI MTHETHWA
ARTS AND CULTURE MINISTER Mthethwa’s removal as police minister has fuelled the rumour mill for some time now.
He was dumped by Zuma despite being part of the cabinet security cluster that locked horns with Madonsela during her investigation of the spending on Nkandla.
Mthethwa has already hinted that he will prioritise the construction of a “national heroes’ acre” to honour those who played a leading role in the struggle against apartheid.
SIYABONGA CWELE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND POSTAL SERVICES MINISTER Cwele will be in charge of the new ministry of telecommunications and postal services.
One of his immediate tasks will be to deal with corruption allegations at the Post Office, and then he will have to enter into a battle with cellphone network giants over call charges. But some, including the DA, think the former spy minister has been deployed to his new post to listen to our calls. SENZENI ZOKWANA AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES MINISTER Unfortunately, Zokwana’s former union, the National Union of Mineworkers, is at loggerheads with the Food and Allied Workers’ Union over the future of Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi.
If it had not been the case, Fawu boss Katishi Masemola could have offered his former comrade advice about the agriculture sector. Zokwana will now have to rely on his mining experience and his deputy’s police background to ensure food security in South Africa. MZWANDILE MASINA TRADE AND INDUSTRY DEPUTY MINISTER Masina has a glowing CV as a bureaucrat, having occupied senior positions in the Ekurhuleni municipality, the Department of Minerals and Energy and the Gauteng department of sports and recreation.
But Masina’s short stint at Luthuli House as an acting politician has been a disaster.
As deputy minister of trade and industry, one hopes he does not tell our trade partners to “fork off” — a remark he once made about Irvin Jim of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa.