Zuma's Cabinet A to Z: part 1
2009-06-02 16:11
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa: Kgalema Motlanthe.
Kgalema Motlanthe, 59, was appointed caretaker president in September 2008 after former president Thabo Mbeki was recalled by the ANC. A thoughtful intellectual and former trade unionist, Motlanthe quickly earned public respect in his new role for smoothing over the tumultuous transition period, and for his sometimes independent streak.
The latter trait led to some conflict within the party, with the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) accusing Motlanthe of usurping the role of ANC President Jacob Zuma.
The criticism had seemingly little effect on Zuma, who persuaded Mothlanthe to stay on as deputy president in the new cabinet, despite his reported intention of leaving government. In the six months he was president Mothlanthe made no major policy changes or decisions but earned plaudits for making key changes to Mbeki’s existing cabinet, particularly the celebrated appointment of Barbara Hogan as health minister, replacing the controversial Manto “Dr Beetroot” Tshabalala-Msimang.
He came under media criticism for axing prosecutions chief Vusi Pikoli and for refusing to appoint a judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal during his term in office.
There has been uncertainty over what Motlanthe will earn as pension from his previous post. All ex-presidents are entitled to a taxable pension amounting to 100% of their salary - R2.1m a year for life. While the pension applies to retired presidents, there is no clarity on what "retirement" means, and whether Motlanthe would still qualify for his ex-president's pension as deputy president.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Tina Joemat-Pettersson
New to the Cabinet, Joemat-Pettersson, 45, previously served as the MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform in the Northern Cape. She was born in Kimberley in 1963, the second youngest of six children, and in 1991 obtained an Honours Degree in English. A former teacher, Joemat-Pettersson served in the ANC since the 80s and has been primarily based in the Northern Cape, previously acting as education MEC (1994), ANC provincial treasurer and chairperson of the ANC Women’s League in the Northern Cape.
She was rated the best agricultural MEC in 2006 by a leading South African agricultural magazine. She scored eight out of ten in an informal survey to determine how efficient agricultural MECs were at handling their respective provinces. The National African Farmers Union of South Africa said in a newsletter that “Prominent farmers, agriculturalists and other industry role players agree that this remarkable woman is highly regarded in the Northern Cape agricultural sector.
“There is great appreciation for her understanding of agriculture in the province, her effective communication skills, her hands-on approach when dealing with problems and the fact that she is always available.”
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Dr Pieter Mulder
In one of the biggest surprises of the new Cabinet, Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder, 57, was appointed as deputy minister of the newly named department of agriculture, fisheries and forestry. The son of former cabinet minister Connie Mulder, Mulder worked as a lecturer and represented the town of Potchefstroom in Parliament since 1988. He co-founded the rightwing Afrikaans party, Freedom Front, with former head of the South African Defence Force, General Constand Viljoen. The party won nine seats in the National Assembly in 1994, and held on to four in all subsequent elections. Viljoen retired from politics in 2001, leaving Mulder in charge.
In 2004 the party absorbed the Conservative Party, the Afrikaner Eenheids Beweging and the Federale Alliansie to become the FF+.
In the past he has argued for a separate homeland for Afrikaners, Afrikaans as a medium of instruction for Afrikaans scholars and students, and was at the forefront of the court battle to allow all South Africans abroad to vote.
The appointment came as a surprise to many within the FF+. DA leader Helen Zille criticised the appointment, saying is was part of the ANC's broader strategy to weaken the opposition. It is seen as an appeal by Zuma to Afrikaners, many of whom feel marginalised 15 years after the end of white minority rule.
Minister of Arts and Culture: Lulu Xingwana
Moved from her former portfolio of agriculture and land affairs, there has been some consternation over the appointment of Lulu Xingwana, 53, given her poor performance in the past.
Previously she held the position of deputy minister of minerals and energy from 2004 to 2006 and was minister of agriculture and land affairs from 2006 to 2009. Under her tenure South Africa went from a net food exporter to a net food importer and the Land Bank, a once prominent agricultural finance house, was plunged into scandal forcing then president Thabo Mbeki to hand administrative powers of the bank to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in mid-2008. The Mail and Guardian gave her a D+ in their 2008 Cabinet report card while political commentator Justice Malala lamented her continued presence in the Cabinet, calling her last tenure an “abject failure”. In Minerals and Energy she earned a reputation as a firebrand for lashing De Beers, Anglo American and Sasol for "looting" SA's minerals, for being "lily white", and for dragging their feet on employment equity.
With an academic background in science as well as rural development, the ANC has been criticised for appointing someone ill-fitted for the role. Xingwana holds a BSc (Wits); a post-graduate diploma in rural development and leadership studies (Zimbabwe, Harare) and a post-graduate diploma in economic principles from the University of London.
Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture: Paul Mashatile
Mashatile, 47, replaced Mbhazima Shilowa on October 7 2008 as Gauteng premier, after Shilowa resigned following the recall of former president Thabo Mbeki. Despite the ANCYL’s lobbying to keep Mashatile in his position after the election, he was replaced as Premier by Nomvula Mokonyane on May 6 2009 in what was perceived by critics as a gender equality appointment. He previously served as the Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Affairs.
Minister of Basic Education: Angie Motshekga
With the important education portfolio taken away from Naledi Pandor and split in two, all eyes are on former Gauteng MEC for Education Angie Motshekga as she takes over schools. A faithful Zuma ally, she was appointed President of the ANC Women’s League in July 2008. She causes a small media controversy when she labelled ANC members defecting to break-away party Cope as “dogs”, refusing to apologise when called on to do so.
A former member of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), Motshekga, 53, was called the best person for the job by the organisation, who said she knew the system from the bottom up.
Motshekga was also embroiled in a conflict of interest scandal in 2004, when the Mail and Guardian found evidence that Motshekga and her husband, former Premier of Gauteng Dr Mathole Motshekga, may have benefited financially from the trust that she helped to land a stake in the lucrative provincial pension payout contract [CAN U PLEASE MAKE THIS CLEARER]. A probe later found she had not benefitted financially or act dishonestly but her conduct as MEC was, however, found to be unacceptable.
Angelina Motshekga was born in Soweto, where she first became active in the struggle against apartheid. She holds a BA Education, B Ed from the University of the North and a Masters Degree in Education from Wits University. She has published and conducted research in education, women's development and language studies, and has worked as a teacher and lecturer.
Minister of Communications: Siphiwe Nyanda
Affected industries have been surprised by the appointment of a military man with no telecoms background in this portfolio. Siphiwe Nyanda, 58, takes over the department of communications at a time when bold steps regarding Telkom and the SABC are needed, Reuters reported. The government has been called to stop protecting underperforming Telkom, of which it owns 40%, and spur competition - which may help cut prices and boost broadband access from a paltry 10% of the population. High communication costs are also impeding growth and deterring foreign investment
Industry insiders are uneasy about what his appointment could mean for the independence of the SABC and Icasa.
During Nyanda's tenure as chief of the SANDF, the controversial arms deal was signed and he held several business interests and is currently head of arms brokerage firm Ngwane, which sells military items such as armoured vehicles and small arms on behalf of several local manufacturers. He was among those most vocal in calling for the Scorpions’ demise.
But he will be balanced by his deputy minister, Dina Pule, a left-leaning activist known for speaking out against corruption and mismanagement.
Nyanda was chief of staff of the ANC's military wing before holding senior armed forces posts after the ANC won power in 1994. Analysts say it is difficult to predict which policy tack Nyanda might take.
Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Sicelo Shiceka
The former department of provincial and local government has been renamed the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, as part of many structural changes to government. Shiceka stays on in the department after he was appointed in September to replace Sydney Mufamadi, who resigned following Mbeki’s recall. The South African Local Government Association (Salga) welcomed the appointment, calling Shiceka a “hard-working, passionate, visionary and consultative leader since joining the ministry last year”. Traditional leaders have also welcomed his appointment over the newly formed Traditional Affairs portfolio, which has been in the works since Mbeki’s administration.
Described as a “jovial Gautenger” by Beeld, he was MEC for local government in Gauteng in 1994. In 2004 he was appointed as the permanent Gauteng representative to the National Council of Provinces and served as the chairperson of Parliament's collective committee on local government and administration.
While he owes his rise to his Zuma loyalties, the Mail and Guardian noted in December that he is likely to find his portfolio a poisoned chalice. Neither of his predecessors, Sydney Mufamadi and Valli Moosa, succeeded in turning the inefficient and graft-ridden third tier of government into the service-providing powerhouse envisaged by the ANC.
Minister of Correctional Services: Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
While Mapisa-Nqakula was expected not to survive politically as a close associate of Mbeki, she has been handed a department left in a dire state by outgoing minister, Ngconde Balfour. While her former portfolio of Home Affairs has shown gradual improvements recently, critics still believe her to be an underperforming minister. She will have to work hard to turn around prisons. Overcrowding has risen to 40%, from 158 000 inmates in 2006 to 161 000 in 2007, and of the eight new prisons mentioned by Mbeki in his State of the Nation speeches since 2004, construction had started on just one by the end of last year.
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans: Lindiwe Sisulu
Sisula, 55, moves from housing, where she proved herself a largely capable minister, running into trouble mostly with the fraught N2 gateway project. She scored a B in the Mail and Guardian’s cabinet report card for 2008, won a Presidential housing award in 2004 and another in 2005 from the International Association for Housing Science Award. But she inherits a defence portfolio still wrecked by the excesses of the arms deal. The department is one of the worst performing since the 2001/2002 financial year and has received qualified audit opinions since 2002-03.
Something of struggle royalty, Sisulu was born to ANC leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu. She was detained from 1975 to 1976 for her anti-apartheid activities. During her exile from 1977 to 1979 she joined the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe, specialising in intelligence, and working as a personal assistant for then head of intelligence, Zuma. She was deputy minister of the department of home affairs from 1996 to 2001, when she became minister of intelligence. In 2004 she was appointed as minister of housing. She has an MA in History and an M Phil from the Centre for Southern African Studies at the University of York.
Minister of Economic Development: Ebrahim Patel
Former secretary general of The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu), Patel, 47, takes over the new portfolio of economic development in what seems to be a careful balancing act on Zuma’s part. The appointment will keep the trade unionists who brought Zuma to power happy, after former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel was retained in the Cabinet against their wishes.
He has been highly involved in the battle to save SA's clothing textiles industry from cheap imports and is a delegate at the World Trade Organisation's ministerial conferences, I-Net Bridge reported. Prior to his appointment he was national labour convenor of the National Economics Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) in SA and has been involved as a delegate in bilateral trade negotiations with Zimbabwe. Patel has been active in the trade union movement for more than two decades, according to Sactwu, and played an active role in the formation of Cosatu.
It is unclear how much interaction Patel will have with the new National Planning Commission headed by Trevor Manuel, or with Finance. He is described as a skilled negotiator and an experienced unionist.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development: Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde
Mahlangu-Nkabinde lost her position as Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa which she received in the Cabinet reshuffle in the wake of Mbeki’s call at the end of 2008. She has been awarded with the position of deputy minister, unlike her predecessor in Parliament, Baleka Mbete, who refused to settle for a lesser position and has since been relegated to Luthuli House. Mahlangu-Nkabinde served as Deputy Speaker from 2004 till 2008. Following the April 2009 election she was replaced as Speaker by Max Sisulu.
The Times reported her chairing of the National Assembly has always been fraught with difficulties. She battled to call MPs to order as she often got emotional herself — to the extent that she has been known to forget to check the rule book readily available through assistants, before ruling on a point of order.
She is former chairperson of the environmental affairs and tourism portfolio committee.
Minister of Energy: Dipuo Peters
The newly created energy portfolio has been split from the Department of Minerals and Energy, a move hailed by industry analysts as the sector outgrows mining and nuclear energy is expanded. But Peters is a newcomer facing a host of serious challenges. A former Northern Cape premier with a background in social work, Peters’ appointment is seen as a political one with analysts slamming her lack of experience. "Her qualification is in social work and now she will head the energy ministry. It appears this is South Africa's tradition to appoint a minister who has no technical qualifications whatsoever," Andrew Kenny, an independent energy analyst, told Mineweb. She will possibly share oversight of Eskom with more experienced Public Enterprise Minister Barbara Hogan.
Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan
One of the most lauded new appointment, Gordhan headed the South African
Revenue Service (Sars) since 1999, serving under Manuel, and has been
praised for turning the tax authority into one of government’s most efficient body
that has repeatedly collected revenue over target, Reuters reported.
Gordhan, of south Indian descent, was born in Durban in April
1949 and has a degree in pharmacy from the University of Durban Westville. He was involved in politics as a student and became a member of parliament between 1994 and 1998 for
the ANC. He was also involved in drafting the present Constitution.
In July 2006, he completed his term as Chairperson
of the World Customs Organisation -- a position he held for an
unprecedented five terms.
Close to Trevor Manuel, Gordhan’s appointment is a sign of policy continuity in a move that is likely to please the markets. But many of the department’s previous default powers will now be limited as the new National Planning Commission headed by Trevor Manuel assumes more planning power. Gordhan is likely to focus on budget and the management of state finances.
Deputy Minister of Finance: Nhlanhla Nene
Nene, 50, was once touted as a possible replacement for Manuel, but has retained the job of second-in-command instead, after being promoted to the position by Motlanthe last year when Jabu Moleketi resigned over Mbeki’s recall. He is well qualified, serving previously as the chairperson of the Finance Portfolio Committee. He became an internet viral hit when a clip of a chair breaking beneath him during an interview was posted on YouTube.
Minister of Health: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi
All eyes are on the relatively unknown Limpopo doctor as he takes over this critical portfolio from favourite, Barbara Hogan. The department is one of the most challenging posts after Hogan’s predecessor, Tshabalala-Msimang’s disastrous legacy characterised by Aids denialism. While a surprise appointment, Motsoaledi, 50, is qualified with a degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Natal. He is a former acting premier in the Limpopo province and moves from being education MEC in the same province, Sapa reported.
Many in the health sector have argued that Hogan should have been retained after she moved quickly to turn around the department in her six months at the helm. But Hogan finance background makes her a better fit at Public Enterprises. Health-e news found a positive report from many who have worked with Motsoaledi in the past, including from opposition parties. The DA’s Michael Holford battled to produce much criticism of the man he worked with in the Limpopo legislature for the past couple of years, describing him as a "big talker", but "fairly effective, an approachable and likeable chap".
Holford said Motsoaledi would not be afraid to shift incompetent people: "He likes people who can do the job."
Minister of Higher Education and Training: Dr Blade Nzimande
The general-secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) was named Minister of Higher Education and Training. A Zuma ally who helped him rise to the top, he may demand payback in the form of more government spending on the poor, Reuters reported.
He has served as Secretary-General of the SACP since 1998 and holds a doctorate degree in philosophy specialising in sociology. He takes over one half of the newly split education portfolio. Nzimande has emerged victiorious from a long battle with Mbeki - The Times reported the former president was accused of forcing Nelson Mandela to reverse his decision of making Nzimande deputy education minister in the 1994 cabinet - to become one of the country’s most powerful politicians and possibly Zuma’s most trusted ally.
Writer Mark Gevisser famously opened his 1995 Mail & Guardian profile piece on Nzimande thus: “You respect Blade Nzimande the way you do a Jack Russell terrier: both are compact, tenacious, intelligent, scrappy when provoked. .. and intensely loyal to those they trust.”
Minister of Home Affairs: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
An Mbeki ally and long-time friend who happens to also be Zuma’s ex-wife, Dlamini-Zuma has retained her place in cabinet despite backing the wrong horse at Polokwane.
A medical doctor by profession, she was Health Minister in Nelson Mandela's cabinet and one of Mbeki’s most trusted ministers at Foreign Affairs. She was offered the Deputy Presidency of South Africa by Thabo Mbeki after he fired Jacob Zuma, but declined it. She has been a controversial foreign affairs minister, particularly when SA held a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. Critics accused Dlamini-Zuma of embarrassing South Africa by backing governments with dubious human rights records.
Business Report noted her new appointment was a poisoned chalice. The department of home affairs is renowned for endemic corruption and incompetence. A recent US government report slammed the department ability to counter terrorism, finding that poor administration and corruption has resulted in thousands of fraudulent passports, identity documents and work permits being issued.
The department has however shown improvements over the past year with Director General Mavuso Msimang at the helm, the Mail & Guardian reported. He is a turnaround specialist who has introduced efficiencies into this department, winning an ICT service delivery award from the United Nations this month.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs: Malusi Gigaba
A former ANCYL president for three terms in a row, Gigaba, 37, remains in his position despite previous controversy over the apparent misappropriation of public funds. Gigaba allegedly sent flowers to his wife at the department's expense in 2007, costing R1020. He was been reported to Parliament earlier this year for failing to co-operate with investigators from the Public Protector’s office probing the allegations.
He has also been accused of setting up a private organisation known as The Malusi Gigaba Institute of Leadership, which was run from his office.
Further claims were that Gigaba's department paid for flight tickets and car rental of individuals associated with that organisation.
He earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) in 1991, and a master's degree in social policy in 1994.
Minister of Human Settlements: Tokyo Sexwale.
Politician turned businessman, Sexwale returned to active politics in 2007. He quickly built up a business empire spanning diamonds to banking, becoming one of the richest men in the country through Mvelaphanda Holdings, where he was chairperson for several years.
Frozen out of politics by Mbeki, he has made a return to take over the formerly named department of housing from fellow minister, Lindiwe Sisulu. Questions were raised about a possible conflict of interests given his business dealing. However he announced his resignation from the board of Mvelaphanda Holdings.
A popular figure, analysts are hoping he can put his business skills into practice and transform housing delivery.
Sexwale is a former Gauteng premier and also had a stint as South Africa’s version of American entrepreneur Donald Trump, when he had the job of hiring and firing competitors in the local adaptation of reality show The Apprentice.
Minister of International Relations and Co-operation: Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Relatively unknown, Nkoana-Mashabane takes over foreign policy at a time when diplomatic power in South Africa is under pressure to help strengthen Zimbabwe's new unity government.
An activist in the United Democratic Front during apartheid, Nkoana-Mashabane went on to be appointed South African High Commissioner to India and Malaysia. Her former husband, Ambassador to Indonesia Norman Mashabane, made headlines when he was recalled after being charged with sexual harassment. He was subsequently cleared by a foreign affairs inquiry and later died in a car accident in 2007.
On her return to South Africa Nkoana-Mashabane became Limpopo’s local government and housing MEC, dedicated to rooting out corruption in low-cost housing programmes.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development: Jeff Radebe
A staunch Zuma supporter, Radebe has effectively been promoted from his previous role as minister of transport (2004 – 2009) to this heavyweight portfolio. He is a longtime minister who has served in every cabinet since 1994: minister of public works under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999 and minister of public enterprises from 1999 to 2004. He is somewhat better qualified for his new role however, with a law degree from the University of Zululand, and an LLM in International Law at the Karl Marx University, Leipzig in 1981.
Sources: The Mail and Guardian cabinet report Card 2008,
South African History Online, Government communication and information
system (GCIS), BuaNews, The Times, Wikipedia, Business Report, Beeld,
The Herald, Reuters, The Sunday Tribune, The Sowetan.