President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced a 34-member South African cabinet that will form the inner circle of a power-sharing government that emerged out of last month’s inconclusive poll which saw his party losing its parliamentary majority.
The new cabinet is the outcome of protracted negotiations between Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) and 10 other parties that signed a power-sharing agreement early this month following elections held on May 29.
In a televised address to the nation, Ramaphosa appointed his arch-rival John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance (DA) as South Africa’s new agriculture minister.
In a cabinet list in which the ANC got 21 slots or 62 percent of total positions, Ramaphosa retained his ANC colleague Paul Mashatile as deputy president.
The DA got just six cabinet posts. In addition to the agriculture portfolio, the DA also got the basic education; communications and digital technologies; home affairs; and public works and infrastructure positions.
Other cabinet ministers were drawn from the GOOD party, Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Patriotic Alliance (PA).
The full cabinet list is as follows:
• Cyril Ramaphosa President (ANC)
• Paul Mashatile Deputy President (ANC)
• John Steenhuisen Agriculture Minister (DA)
• Mzwanele Nyhontso Land Reform & Rural Development Minister (PAC)
• Siviwe Gwarube Basic Education (DA)
• Solly Malatsi Communications & Digital Technologies (DA)
• Velinkosi Hlabisa Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs (IFP)
• Angie Motshekga Defence & Military Veterans (ANC)
• Kgosientsho Ramokgopa Electricity & Energy (ANC)
• Blade Nzimande Science, Technology & Innovation (ANC)
• Nomakhosazana Meth Employment & Labour (ANC)
• Enoch Godongwana Finance (ANC)
• Dion George Forestry, Fisheries & Environment (DA)
• Aaron Motsoaledi Health (ANC)
• Nobuhle Nkabane Higher Education (ANC)
• Leon Schreiber Home Affairs (DA)
• Mmamoloko Kubayi Human Settlements (ANC)
• Ronald Lamola International Relations & Cooperation (ANC)
• Thembi Nkadimeng Justice & Constitutional Development (ANC)
• Gwede Mantashe Mineral & Petroleum Resources (ANC)
• Maropene Ramokgopa Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation (ANC)
• Senzo Mchunu Police (ANC)
• Khumbudzo Ntshavheni Presidency (ANC)
• Mzamo Buthelezi Public Service & Administration (IFP)
• Dean Macpherson Public Works & Infrastructure (DA)
• Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams Small Business Development (ANC)
• Sisisi Tolashe Social Development (ANC)
• Gayton McKenzie Sport, Arts & Culture (PA)
• Patricia de Lille Tourism (GOOD)
• Parks Tau Trade, Industry & Competition (ANC)
• Barbara Creecy Transport (ANC)
• Pemmy Majodina Water & Sanitation (ANC)
• Sindisiwe Chikunga Women, Youth & Persons with Disabilities (ANC)
• Pieter Groenewald Correctional Services (FF Plus)
JN/APA