#CabinetReshuffle: Ramaphosa recycles two ministers, merges two ministries

cyril ramaphosa cabinet reshuffle november 2018

A cabinet reshuffle during the day? I know right. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, albeit a little late, announced his newly spring-cleaned cabinet to the country on Thursday afternoon.

In light of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba’s resignation last week, and Minister of Environmental Affair’s Edna Molewa’s death earlier this year, there were a few vacancies to fill.

Ramaphosa picked former Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele as Malusi Gigaba’s replacement at Home Affairs.

Nomvula Mokonyane, the country’s former Minister of Communications, is now minister of Environmental Affairs.

This left vacancies in both ministries, but Ramaphosa had a cunning plan. The President announced that the Department of Communications and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services will merge into one, and Stella Ndabeni Abrahams is now minister of the combo.

She was previously the deputy minister of the former.

Some government officials applauded this move in particular.

EFF’s Floyd Shivambu wished Ndabeni Abrahams “best wishes”. While former DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme believed that she would “hit the ground running” in her new role.

But the real shocking announcement was the President’s retention of Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini.

The DA’s MP Michael Cardo called the decision a “damp squib”.

While the party’s chief whip John Steenhuisen wasn’t cheering the President’s “rotten” recycling drive either.

“Same rotten people, sitting around the same table making the same rotten decisions will lead to the same rotten outcomes. If you want real change you have to vote for it…” he tweeted.

Feature image: screenshot, SA Gov via Twitter

Andy Walker, former editor
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