Ramaphosa’s Cabinet must go: 5 Reasons for the DA’s Motion of No Confidence in Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
14 March 2022
With the State of Disaster set to be extended for yet another month, despite promises from the ANC government in February that the perpetual extensions of lockdown would come to an end, it is high time the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s head rolled.
Despite her title, Minister Dlamini-Zuma has shown little aptitude for cooperation. She, and the rest of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s National Corona Command Council (NCCC), have consistently ignored the advice and warnings from scientists and the World Health Organization (WHO). While the rest of the world has started lifting restrictions, or removing them entirely, the Minister is persisting with an irrational State of Disaster in what the DA can only assume is a desperate bid to maintain some semblance of power.
With DA Leader John Steenhuisen’s Motion of No Confidence (MONC) brought to Parliament on 14 February, these are the five top reasons Minister Dlamini-Zuma must be fired:
The Perpetual State of Disaster
Under Minister Dlamini-Zuma’s watch, the State of Disaster has been continually rolled over since its announcement in March 2020. Not once has the Minister appeared before Parliament or the Public to explain why such an extension was necessary.
She, and the rest of the ANC government, have abused the freedom the State of Disaster afforded them, resulting in serious damage to the economy, and tremendous losses of jobs and opportunities.
The Minister has failed to recommend alternative measures to the lockdowns, and has lobbied members of Parliament on the CoGTA portfolio committee to vote against amendments to the Disaster Management Act. Nothing has come of President Ramaphosa’s promise in January 2022 that such alternative measures will be introduced by government.
In general, the Minister is one of the worst performers when it comes to answering parliamentary questions, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown. Her power under the Disaster Management Act is only matched by her complete aversion to public and parliamentary accountability. Her obtuse attitude is at odds with the Constitution’s standard of accountability.
Failure to help communities suffering from service delivery breakdown
The Minister has failed to bring legislation to Parliament to help communities who suffer under municipalities and provinces that can no longer provide basic services. Such legislation is contemplated in the Constitution, and could help to clarify roles and responsibilities when a municipality is placed under administration. This could prevent water, electricity and sanitation infrastructure from collapsing irretrievably, especially in rural areas like the North West, which has the worst basic service delivery in the country despite currently being under national government administration.
Seeking to centralize power with the DDM
The Minister has failed to support well-run municipalities and provinces to take over functions that national government is no longer able to deliver effectively. Instead, Minister Dlamini-Zuma seeks to centralize more power in the hands of the national ANC government through the District Development Model (DDM).
Despite the places where the DDM has been ‘piloted’ being either worse off or having nothing to show, the Model is now being ‘rolled out’ in the rest of the country. Yet another instance where the ANC government refuses to follow the evidence for the benefit of the people, if it means giving up an ounce of power.
Failure to devise alternative model for CWP
Minister Dlamini-Zuma has failed to devise an alternative model for the Community Works Programme (CWP), the biggest single source of irregular expenditure in CoGTA.
Billions spent on the CWP over a number of years cannot be accounted for, leading to a number of disclaimed and qualified audits over a number of years.
The DA suspects that in many provinces the CWP is being used to benefit political insiders of the ANC, to the exclusion of poor and vulnerable communities.
The Minister seems completely at ease with the embarrassing performance of her own Department.
Has no plan to fix collapsed ANC-run municipalities
In August 2021, CoGTA released a report in which 64 municipalities across the country had been identified as “dysfunctional”. The 43 municipalities identified by the News24 index now brings the tally of dysfunctional municipalities to a shocking total of 107.
Out of a total of 257 municipalities, only 16 are considered to be stable – the vast majority of those stable municipalities are DA-governed. Yet, the Minister has shown no interest in tabling a plan to turn these municipalities around.
Minister Dlamini-Zuma has shown a consistent disinterest in acting for the benefit of South Africans. Instead, she uses her position of power to enact petty policies that punishes those who participate in her pet peeves. The vast majority of Covid-regulations have been irrational, ill thought out and should have been lifted eons ago according to the advice of scientists.
South Africa cannot afford a Minister who cannot put the needs of those she is meant to serve above her own. Minister Dlamini-Zuma’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused enormous economic ramifications and is still straining economic recovery. President Ramaphosa must fire her and allow the country to regain its economic footing.
Issued by Cilliers Brink, DA Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, 14 March 2022
