President Cyril Ramaphosa has expanded his office with the addition of two ministries, but said he will trim his Cabinet after the elections next year.
After axing Maite Nkoana-Mashabane as Minister for Women in the Presidency he appointed Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to head that ministry.
In addition, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa will be in the Presidency as minister for electricity.
Maropene Ramokgopa will now be the minister for planning, monitoring and evaluation in the Presidency.
“In the course of attending to current challenges, we are establishing two new ministries. The first of these is the minister of electricity to deal with the immediate crisis of load shedding. The second is the minister with specific responsibility for planning, monitoring and evaluation to focus greater attention on the performance of government,” said Ramaphosa.
He said that while this will increase the size of his Cabinet there were talks with the National Treasury to reduce the size of the national executive next year.
Ramaphosa said he was also roping in Khumbudzo Ntshavheni into the Presidency to head state security. He swopped her role at communications with Mondli Gungubele.
Ramaphosa had scrapped state security as a standalone ministry after the report on the July 2021unrest and the review panel report and brought it into the Presidency.
At the time he denied he was consolidating his power in the Presidency.
When he announced the establishment of the ministry of electricity during the State of the Nation Address, political parties also accused him of centralising power, but he also denied this, saying he wanted government to work efficiently and to end load shedding.
Kenny Morolong and Nomasonto Motaung are deputy ministers in the Presidency.
Pinky Kekana will be the deputy to Maropene Ramokgopa while Sisisi Tolashe will be deputy to Dlamini Zuma.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Current Affairs