Cabinet reshuffle: Zuma should prove performance, not patronage, is priority
After eighteen months, the Zuma administration is facing a crisis of accountability. Despite declaring that his administration would be characterized by action and a renewed commitment to delivery, it is tripartite alliance factionalism and underperformance that have dominated President Jacob Zuma's tenure. A cabinet reshuffle would be a powerful way for President Zuma to demonstrate that his administration prioritises performance over political patronage. His handling of the mooted reshuffle will also be an important litmus test of the President's confidence in his own political position- which has seen his ability to make tough decisions undermined by the political debts he is still repaying to those factions which brought him to power.
There are a number of ministers in the Zuma Cabinet who have failed to perform. Of these, the DA has isolated the five weakest links:
Richard Baloyi: Minister of Public Service and Administration
Course of Action: Dismissal of minister, review ministry's role
Baloyi's clumsy handling of labour relations came to a head with the recent protracted public service strike. Not only did the strike place overwhelming pressure on the country's ailing public healthcare and education systems, but the decision not to take action against essential service workers who contravened regulations in taking part in the strike made a profound statement about the government's commitment to accountability and the influence exerted by COSATU in the tripartite alliance. The inflation of the public service wage bill as a result of the strike agreement has placed a serious burden on state funds and will necessitate the diversion of finances from other important areas. Baloyi has also played a leading role in the anti-corruption and public expenditure task teams established by the Zuma administration to investigate misuse of public funds, both of which have repeatedly failed to make public reports on their progress. The limited degree of executive authority that can be exerted by the Minister of Public Service and Administration over the public service, the fact that the department is not responsible for any specific service delivery functions, and the responsibilities of the Public Service Commission versus those of the Ministry all raise questions about whether the role played by Baloyi's Ministry is in need of review.
2. Siphiwe Nyanda: Minister of Communication
Course of Action: Dismissal of minister
With the communications department described as a "sinking ship" by its acting Director General, Siphiwe Nyanda's ministerial tenure has been marred by poor performance and allegations of mismanagement and corruption and self-service. The recent dismissal of Communications Director General Mamodupi Mohlala caused controversy, given that the decision was taken amid allegations that Nyanda was trying to centralise control of departmental tenders under his authority. Under Nyanda, both the SABC and Sentech have floundered. The minister failed to ensure that the SABC met the requirements for the R1 billion funding lifeline from the Treasury and has also exceeded the limits of his authority in trying to intervene in the troubled public broadcaster's governance problems.
3. Blade Nzimande: Minister of Higher Education and Training
Course of Action: Dismissal of minister
Dr Nzimande's performance has been woeful. He has lacked the courage to take tough decisions, most notably in failing to disband the wasteful and inefficient SETAs and use the resources of the National Skills Fund to make industry-FET college collaborations productive. His authoritarian approach has seen him support the proposed media tribunal, and issue instructions to universities to teach courses which support the ANC's vision of a developmental state. These decisions are deeply concerning and go against the very values that should underpin a healthy tertiary education system. During his brief tenure, Nzimande has also engaged in unethical and excessive spending, including the purchase of a luxury BMW as his ministerial car and taking up extended stays at high-end hotels. It was reportedly this penchant for wasteful expenditure that contributed to internal disruptions in his department, which led to the recent resignation of the Director General of Higher Education, Mary Metcalfe.
4. Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya: Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities
Course of Action: Dismissal of minister
Minister Mayende-Sibiya has been one of the most poorly performing ministers in the Zuma Cabinet. With no clear programme of action and a tendency to intervene in an ad-hoc, uncoordinated manner (she has allegedly fired managers who questioned her weak leadership and dismissed a task team mandated to get her department into shape), her ministry has achieved very little since its establishment last year. Mayende-Sibiya has displayed an absolute disregard for transparency and accountability. She has failed to deliver reports on her department's progress and has a very poor relationship with the relevant portfolio and select committees thanks to her abysmal attendance and lack of communication about key issues. The President would do well to fire Mayende-Sibiya, dismantle her ministry and assign the ministry's responsibilities transversally across government departments.
5. Siyabonga Cwele: Minister of State Security
Course of Action: Dismissal of minister
Minster Cwele's abysmal handling of the reintroduction of the Protection of State Information Bill unquestionably constitutes grounds for his removal. In his interactions concerning the Bill, Cwele has revealed such secretive instincts, not to mention worryingly illogical arguments, that his retention of this position poses a serious threat to media freedom and fundamental constitutional and democratic values. Cwele's position has also been compromised by the drug trafficking charges currently facing his wife.
While underperformance of members of the executive has been rife, there have also been ministers who have risen to the challenge. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, for example, has made important gains in turning around the health administration that was so weakened under his predecessor, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. This year, the department achieved an unqualified audit for the first time in seven years- a testament to Motsoaledi's efforts. While there are still concerns about aspects of health policy, such as the proposed National Health Insurance scheme, Motsoaledi has put his department on a much sounder footing. His handling of the health department's approach to tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic has also been commendable. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has been another notable performer- he has been a competent successor to Trevor Manuel and has helped steer the country through treacherous financial waters since assuming his post last year.
President Zuma now faces a serious quandary. On the one hand, performance is inextricably linked to accountability. Should he fail to hold underperforming ministers responsible for their failure to deliver, his administration's repeated commitments to improved performance will be rendered worthless, leading to an even greater erosion of public faith in the ANC government. However, on the other hand, the President has appointed a number of the members of the executive on the basis of political loyalty, rather than merit, thereby sowing the seeds of his own destruction. To dismiss or demote them would be to threaten his own political future. The President will have to decide whether it is the wrath of his political allies, or the country's voters, that he most fears.
Statement issued by Athol Trollip, MP, Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Leader, October 25 2010
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