Zuma cabinet revamp raises more questions than answers
With few exceptions, President Jacob Zuma's new cabinet is bad news for South Africa. Although several serial under-performers of the Mbeki era have been dropped (such as Dr Manto Tshabala-Msimang, Ngconde Balfour, Mandisi Mpahlwa and Charles Nqakula) others have been retained, and in some instances moved to crucial portfolios.
In addition a host of sinecure deputy ministries have been created, more to solve the ANC's internal political problems at taxpayers' expense, than to add value to service delivery.
The President's decision to revamp the structure of cabinet also raises more questions than it provides answers. It remains to be seen whether the splitting of certain portfolios and the creation of a planning commission within the Presidency will have any positive effect on service delivery.
The cabinet has grown substantially in size, to 34 Ministers, adding a significant cost and administrative burden. Of particular importance in this regard is the creation of a National Planning Commission based in the Presidency. While the DA welcomes the appointment of Trevor Manuel as the head of the commission, we will fiercely resist any attempts by this Ministry or the newly created Cooperative Governance Ministry to undermine the constitutionally entrenched autonomy of the three spheres of government.
We will also watch two critical new appointments very closely, namely that of Ebrahim Patel as the head of the newly created Ministry of Economic Development and that of Pravin Gordhan as the new Minister of Finance. We hope that these appointments do not herald a departure from sound macro-economic policy making and implementation and that there will not be a radical overhaul of economic policy, simply to appease COSATU and the SACP. President Zuma is heavily indebted to both these organisations for his political resurrection, and the Cabinet is clearly structured to repay these debts. If President Zuma was to threaten international investor confidence to repay political debts, it would be a serious setback for South Africa's attempts to weather the global financial crisis and establish a sound basis for future investment and economic growth.
It remains to be seen how much power the new Economic Development Department is granted, and to what extent this power may infringe on the previous responsibilities of the Department of Finance. If the Department of Finance has been downgraded to the role of mere budget-making, then this move constitutes a real concern.
Of particular concern is the appointment of Angie Motshekga as Minister of Basic Education and Blade Nzimande as Minister of Higher Education. Angie Motshekga is known for her infamous statement, in defence of Julius Malema, that an education is not a necessary requirement for leadership. Blade Nzimande, as the Minister of Higher Education, is a Marxist ideologue, whose appointment raises concerns about the future of higher education in a global knowledge economy.
The DA is relieved that there is no place in the Zuma Cabinet for a number of ministers from the previous administration whose tenures were nothing short of disastrous. These include Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Ngconde Balfour, Mandisi Mpahlwa and Charles Nqakula. It is however lamentable Nosizwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been shifted to the critical portfolio of Correctional Services when her time as Minister of Home Affairs saw her lurch lethargically from one crisis to another.
Other appointments which raise alarm bells include the appointment of Susan Shabangu as the Minister of Mines, a critical industry for South Africa's long term economic growth, the shifting of the highly effective Barbara Hogan from Health to Public Enterprises in what appears to be punishment for her outspoken comments on the Dalai Lama, and the appointment of Jeff Radebe to the exceptionally important Justice Ministry.
Radebe has left a great deal of mess for his successor at the Department of Transport to deal with and it is unlikely that he will perform any better at the department of Justice. Shabangu's appointment is concerning, given her woeful tenure as Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy.
The cabinet announced today needs to be given time to properly judge its performance. The DA for its part will watch each of these ministries very closely and hold them to account for any misstep. We will do everything in our power to ensure that each new minister respects the constitution and that corruption and mismanagement is appropriately dealt with.
Statement issued by Democratic Alliance leader, Helen Zille, May 10 2009
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