OVERVIEW: The Ramaphosa reshuffle: Who is in Cyril's new cabinet

Meet the new Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is considered a rising star in the ANC's top structures and was appointed Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services in March 2017. 

New Cabinet, same ANC

by Mmusi Maimane - Leader of the Democratic Alliance

The DA notes President Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle. While we welcome his commitment to making the Cabinet more capable, his announcement is the second missed opportunity in nine months to fire delinquent Ministers such as Bathabile Dlamini, and Nomvula Mokonyane.

It was also a missed opportunity to cut down the size of this bloated Executive, as we have called on him to do, and we contend that it is entirely possible for a more effective Executive to operate with around 15 ministries.

Merging Telecommunications, Postal Services and Communications into one Ministry and recycling Siyabonga Cwele onto Home Affairs does nothing to achieve this and is little more than a reshuffling of dead wood.

'Bathabile Dlamini deserves to be fired'

The DA’s court action to have Dlamini fired is still ongoing. However, today is the extended deadline for the President to file his motion to oppose this application and his failure to fire Dlamini is all the answer that we need.

Bathabile Dlamini brought the country’s social grants system to the brink of collapse and played Russian roulette with the welfare of 17 million South Africans. She is a Zupta deployee who the Constitutional Court said ‘was reckless and grossly negligent’ in her handling of the SASSA grants crisis, and ordered her to pay costs.

The Court also found “very strong” evidence that Dlamini gave false testimony, and recommended that the NPA investigate charges of perjury against her. It is inconceivable that such a person could hold Executive office in any constitutional democracy.

Bathabile Dlamini deserves to be fired, and President Ramaphosa’s failure to do so suggests he endorses her conduct.

Dlamini’s delinquency is followed closely by former Minister of Water and Sanitation and Communications, now Environmental Affairs Minister, Nomvula Mokonyane, who destroyed the Water and Sanitation Department.

That department remains effectively paralysed by corruption, incompetence and maladministration. She chose Dudu Myeni to run the Mhlathuze and Umgeni waterboards, proving her reliability as a Zupta deployee so how she now finds herself on Environmental Affairs defies reason.

'This Cabinet reshuffle represents no real change'

A ‘New Dawn’ cannot be built on the same liars and Zupta loyalists who helped keep Jacob Zuma in power and out of prison. Dlamini and Mokonyane’s watch must end and President Ramaphosa failed to end it.

This Cabinet reshuffle represents no real change. The decks have simply been reshuffled to please ANC insiders.

Ramaphosa has made it clear that he is the President of the ANC before he is the President of the Republic. The people of South Africa will always come last so long as the ANC is in government.

The Ramaphosa reshuffle: Who is in Cyril's new cabinet

President Cyril Ramaphosa has made big changes to his Cabinet, the first time since appointing his executive in February when he took over as South Africa's head of state.

RESHUFFLE SUMMARY:

1. Siyabonga Cwele (former minister of telecommunications) replaces Malusi Gigaba as Minister of Home Affairs

2. Nomvula Mokonyane (former minister of communications) fills the position of the late Edna Molewa as Minister of Environmental Affairs.

3. Stella Ndadeni-Abrahams (former deputy minister of telecommunications) appointed as Minister of Communications and Telecommunications. 

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is considered a rising star in the ANC top structures and was appointed deputy minister of telecommunications and postal services in March 2017.

She was a strong supporter of Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2017 ANC presidential campaign.

Hailing from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, Ndabeni-Abrahams became an ANC MP in 2009 and was a member of the ANC Youth League in the days of Julius Malema, Fikile Mbalula and Ronald Lamola.

Between October 2011 and March 2017, Ndabeni-Abrahams served as the deputy minister of communications.

At the time, in 2011, she was the youngest minister in former president Jacob Zuma’s cabinet at 34.

From 1990 to 1994 she served as a member of the ANCYL in East London before becoming a member of its National Executive Committe from 2008 and 2010.

She is also at present a member of the ANC Eastern Cape provincial executive committee.

Ndabeni-Abrahams made headlines in 2016 when she wrote to Zuma asking him to intervene as the then communications minister Faith Muthambi was treating her like a “personal assistant”.

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams appointed as minister of telecommunications. Ramaphosa would be merging the telecommunications and communications departments, and this will be headed up by Ndabeni-Abrahams.

She was the deputy minister of telecommunications.

ICYMI:

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has died

Edna Molewa died in a Pretoria hospital "after a period of illness". 

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement at the time: "I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Minister Edna Molewa as well as to her colleagues in Cabinet and across all spheres of government who have had the privilege to work alongside an extraordinary leader of our people."

‘How can a reshuffle destabilise anything?’: Ace on Cabinet shake-up

“How can a reshuffle destabilise anything? Even if there is a reshuffle it won’t destabilise anything. If you are a member of movement you will have to move on,” he said.

Ramaphosa to announce Cabinet reshuffle

In a statement issued on Thursday morning the Presidency said "these changes have been occasioned by the passing away in September 2018 of the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, and the more recent resignation of the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Gigaba".

Dlamini, Gigaba 'acted dishonestly', not 'fit and proper' to hold office - DA in court papers

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and Minister in the Presidency Bathabile Dlamini survived Ramaphosa's first Cabinet reshuffle on February 26 – 11, days after he had been sworn in as president.

In his affidavit, federal council chairperson James Selfe said: "In the circumstances, the DA seeks an order declaring the president's decision to retain both Ms Dalmini and Mr Gigaba in his Cabinet to be unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid."