POLITICS

Reshuffle is not factional – ANCWL

Women's League welcomes changes, applauds president for being cognisant of gender roles in Cabinet

The ANCWL welcomes the Cabinet reshuffle tabled the the President

31 March 2017

The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) welcomes the cabinet tabled by the President of the Republic of South Africa (RSA), Comrade Jacob Zuma. We applaud the President for being cognisant of the gender parity policy of the ANC and affirming women leadership through his decision, as he appointed 50% women ministers and 60% women deputy ministers. 

Another imperative feature of the reshuffle is that, different generations are represented in the cabinet, in line with the generational mix of the ANC. Furthermore, we applaud the outgoing ministers and deputies who served the ANC-led Government and the people of South Africa with great distinction and we trust that they will continue to serve our people in various areas of future deployments. 

The ANCWL concurs with the annotations of the President that the reshuffle will enhance efficiency in government and is a bold move towards ensuring the radical socio-economic transformation in the country which is an agenda of the ANC. This move will ensure a better life for the poor and the working class as per the 2014 ANC Manifesto. The ANCWL denounces the narrative driven by the opposition that the reshuffle is factional and causing panic that the country is in crisis. An ability to evaluate progress of the State and making adjustments where necessary is not a crisis but a fundamental attribute of good governance. 

The women’s league, congratulates and sends well wishes to the new ministers and deputies on their new responsibilities. We are confident of their capacity to deliver on the mandate the ANC has bestowed upon them and their dedication to serve the citizens of this country. We also expect  the appointed Ministers and Deputy Ministers to advance women economic emancipation in theory and praxis. Their respective departments must dismantle any form of gender oppression and contribute in building society free from any form of gender inequality.

The ANCWL calls the Corporate sector to emulate the President and appoint more women in senior strategic positions and remunerate them equally to their male counterparts. Exploitation and marginalisation of women in corporate sector must be addressed accordingly. 

Issued by Moekgo Matuba, ANCWL Secretary General, 31 March 2017