Cabinet being ‘transformed’

In a bid to “transform” Cabinet and introduce a “mix” of different leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new communications, environmental affairs and home affairs ministers yesterday in Pretoria.

After the resignation of former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, Ramaphosa replaced him with former telecommunications and postal services minister Siyabonga Cwele.

Following the sudden death of Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa in September, Nomvula Mokonyane was chosen to take over the department. Mokonyane previously headed the communications department.

But Mokonyane and Cwele’s former departments have now merged, with the department now headed by newly appointed 41-year-old Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

“This move is going to ensure that we have better alignment and coordination of matters that are critical in the future of the economy, in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The two departments will report to the new ministry, but they will remain separate departments until the fifth administration,” the President said at the Union Buildings.

Ndabeni-Abrahams was immediately sworn in.

Ramaphosa also announced the resignation of deputy minister of energy Thembi Majola from the national executive committee, effective from January.

“She was leaving to attend to family commitments. I wish the newly appointed will undertake the great responsibility of serving the country,” he said.

But while some might have anticipated the removal of Minister of Women Bathabile Dlamini, Ramaphosa did not even mention her name.

Yesterday marked the deadline set by the DA’s legal challenge for Ramaphosa to decide on whether to keep Dlamini in Cabinet.

This after the Constitutional Court found in September that Dlamini had been reckless in the handling of the South African Social Security Agency grant pay outs while she was still minister of social development.

The court further urged the director of public prosecutions to decide on whether Dlamini should be charged with perjury as she was found to have lied under oath.

I wish the newly appointed will undertake the great responsibility of serving the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa