Ramaphosa reconfigures some Cabinet portfolios to accommodate all GNU parties
President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was not possible to trim down the number of portfolios because all parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) had to be accommodated.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa during a national address. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has reconfigured some of his Cabinet portfolios from the previous administration, most notably getting rid of the long-criticised public enterprises department.
But he's retained the electricity portfolio which he introduced in March last year, adding to Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's job by merging it with energy, which had previously been part of the mineral resources department.
Announcing the makeup of the new Cabinet on Sunday night, Ramaphosa said it was not possible to trim down the number of portfolios because all parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) had to be accommodated.
Hopes of a leaner Cabinet have not been realised.
Instead, the separation of portfolios from the sixth administration has led to even more departments, from 30 to 32.
"I indicated my intention to reduce the number of portfolios in the national executive. However, due to the need to ensure the national executive is inclusive of all the parties that are part of the GNU, this has not been possible."
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen will assume the agriculture portfolio, which has been separated from land reform and rural development, which will now be headed by the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC)'s Mzwanele Nyhontso.
Higher education has once again also been separated from the science, technology and innovation portfolio, with the education portfolio to be headed by the former minerals and resources deputy minister, Nobuhle Nkabane, while Blade Nzimande stays at science, technology and innovation.
The department of justice has also been separated from correctional services, long considered to be too large a portfolio to manage.
Former Cooperative Governance Minister Thembi Nkadimeng will now take over the justice arm, while Freedom Front Plus leader, Pieter Groenewald, will take charge of the prisons.