After two delays and a late arrival, Monday night’s Cabinet reshuffle announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa was a hugely disappointing affair, some opposition parties said.
In an immediate reaction to Ramaphosa’s announcement, Mmusi Maimane’s Build One SA (Bosa) said the reshuffle proved to citizens just how out of touch the ANC government was with the needs and concerns of citizens.
Ramaphosa made sweeping changes to his Cabinet after formally appointing Paul Mashatile to be his deputy after the departure of David Mabuza last week.
The president also announced former Tshwane mayor and current head of infrastructure in the Presidency Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is the new Minister of Electricity.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has been appointed to the State Security portfolio in the Presidency, taking over from Mondli Gungubele who has moved to her position at communications.
In a statement issued on Monday night, Bosa said that the most significant line in Ramaphosa’s announcement speech was stating that it was not an overhaul of the executive, but only necessary to fill vacancies.
“The same rotten apples were shuffled from one post to another – the polar opposite of what was needed in a time of socio-economic crisis.
Bosa spokesperson Sbu Zondi added that worse than that, Ramaphosa further bloated the Cabinet adding two more ministers which South African taxpayers will pay for.
“The blue lights, the security and the houses, including generators, so that they do not experience load shedding.”
Bosa also took a stab at the decision to keep Bheki Cele as Police Minister, Thulas Nxesi as Employment and Labour Minister and Angie Motshekga as Basic Education Minister “after miseducating our young people for almost 15 years”.
“After launching our country into an energy crisis, Gwede Mantashe was kept on as Energy and Mineral Resources Minister and Pravin Gordhan as Public Enterprises Minister,” Zondi added.
ActionSA said that Ramaphosa’s long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle was underwhelming at best, demonstrating the dearth of talent in the ruling party.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said that the promised new dawn had been completely abandoned in the interest of political expediency evidenced by the recycling of the usual incompetence.
"Nowhere in the process did Ramaphosa indicate that the interests of South Africans lay at the heart of the reshuffle.
“The president time and time again showed how reluctant he is to lead the country during this difficult time amid a stagnant economy, spiralling crime and load shedding.
“Ultimately, this reshuffle is tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship.
“This Cabinet proffers no hope for the millions of South Africans who waited with bated breath for change that might bring some reprieve to the interminable load shedding that has disrupted their lives for 15 years,” Mashaba said.
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