South Africa’s newly elected ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in on Wednesday, 1 July at the Union Building in Pretoria.
Just recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled the cabinet and announced the changes made to the National Executive. This comes after a consultation with the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) as the Government of National Unity (GNU).
In a statement released on Tuesday, The Presidency said, “These changes will affect the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Trade, Industry and Competition, Electricity and Energy, Higher Education, and Water and Sanitation.”
The key appointments are as follows:
– Dina Pule as the Minister of social development
– Willem Aucamp as the Minister of Agriculture
– David Maynier as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
– John Steenhuisen as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition
– Alexandra Abrahams as Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy.
– Jack Bloom as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation
– Yusuf Cassim as Deputy Minister of Higher Education
Those sworn in include Dina Pule and David Maynier as ministers and John Steenhuisen, Jack Bloom and Yusuf Cassim as deputy ministers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reminded Maynier from the DA that there was no room for opposition politics inside the GNU.
“Now we are no longer on two sides, we are on one side. There are no longer those oppositional things,” Ramaphosa told Maynier.
The appointment of Pule has caused a controversial argument, the former communications minister was fired from her duties in 2013 due to unethical conduct and now she returns as the social development minister.
President Ramaphosa said, “The department extends its heartfelt congratulations to Minister Pule on her appointment and looks forward to her leadership as the department continues to advance South Africa’s social development agenda, strengthen social protection, and improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, families and communities.”
The Presidency highlighted that all the appointments follow sections 91(3)(b) and 93(1)(a) of the Constitution.
