Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed his Presidency’s investment and infrastructure guru Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramakgopa as the Minister of Electricity in the Presidency.
A holder of a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Master’s degrees in public administration and business leadership and a PhD in public affairs, Ramokgopa, 48, is a former mayor of Tshwane who served from 2010 to 2016.
He was also a Gauteng MPL from 2019 and had until last night been the Presidency’s investment and infrastructure chief.
The three-page announcement was almost two hours late, with the document’s metadata showing that Presidency official Saul Musker finalised it at 8.34pm, just before Ramaphosa made his announcement.
Ramaphosa made the expected announcement of ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile as the country’s deputy president.
And he said while he instructed the Presidency and National Treasury to develop a proposal to rationalise government departments to ensure greater efficiency, he nonetheless established two new ministries – a ministry of electricity and a ministry with specific responsibility for planning, monitoring and evaluation to focus on the performance of government.
Other changes are: Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa; Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele; Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng; Minister of Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet; Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala; Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa; Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille; and Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga.
Deputy ministers are: Deputy Ministers in the Presidency, Nomasonto Motaung and Kenneth Morolong; Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sisisi Tolashe; Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Pinky Kekana, and two deputy ministers for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Parks Tau and Zolile Burns-Ncamashe.
Ramaphosa also announced as deputy ministers for Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala; Bernice Swarts as Deputy Minister of Public Works; and former Transport Minister Dipuo Peters returns as Deputy Minister of Small Business Development.
Obed Bapela is the new Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises, while Lisa Mangcu deputises in the Transport Ministry.
Ramaphosa said: “I have instructed both new and existing members of the Cabinet to act with speed and urgency to address the challenges that our country faces.
“I expect them to fulfil their tasks with rigour and dedication, to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to corruption wherever it exists, and to place the interests of the people of South Africa foremost in the work that they do.
“This is the standard that I will hold them to, and I have full confidence that they will meet it. We must waste no time and spare no effort in restoring the promise of South Africa.”
He shared his concern about the months-long delay of the Cabinet reshuffle, saying it was because of “a number of processes that needed to be followed, some of which relate to the requirements of the Constitution relating to the appointment of members of the national executive”.
Ramaphosa said: “Understanding that just over one year remains in the term of this sixth administration, these changes are not about overhauling the national executive.
“The changes that I am announcing now are intended to fill vacancies that have occurred in the executive and to direct government more effectively towards the areas that require urgent and decisive action.
“I have sought to balance the need for new skills and capabilities to drive the agenda that we outlined in the State of the Nation Address with the important task of ensuring stability and continuity in the work of the government. In the course of attending to current challenges, we are establishing two new ministries.”
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa were axed from the Cabinet.
soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za