Fellow South Africans,
Today, I am announcing a number of changes to the National Executive.
The
purpose of these changes is to ensure that government is properly
capacitated and directed to give effect to the commitments made in the
State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech.
We have said that the people of South Africa want action, they want solutions and they want government to work for them.
All
members of the Executive have been directed to focus on those agreed
actions that will make a meaningful difference now, that will enable
real progress within the next year and that will lay a foundation for a
sustained recovery into the future.
All parts of government are
focused on addressing those issues that concern South Africans the most:
load shedding, unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, and
crime and corruption.
There has been some concern expressed by
South Africans about the amount of time it has taken to finalise these
changes to the Executive.
This delay is the result of a number of
processes that needed to be followed, some of which relate to the
requirements of the Constitution relating to the appointment of members
of the National Executive.
The President appoints the Deputy
President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers from among members of the
National Assembly. The President may appoint no more than two Ministers
and two Deputy Ministers from outside the National Assembly.
Understanding
that just over one year remains in the term of this 6th administration,
these changes are not about overhauling the National Executive.
The
changes that I am announcing now are intended to fill vacancies that
have occurred in the Executive and to direct government more effectively
towards the areas that require urgent and decisive action.
I have
sought to balance the need for new skills and capabilities to drive the
agenda that we outlined in the State of the Nation Address with the
important task of ensuring stability and continuity in the work of
government.
In the course of attending to current challenges, we are establishing two new ministries.
The first of these is the Minister for Electricity to deal with the immediate crisis of load shedding.
The
second is the Minister with specific responsibility for Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation to focus greater attention on the performance
of government.
While this will result in an increase in the number
of ministries in the short term, as indicated in the State of the
Nation Address, I have instructed the Presidency and National Treasury
to develop a proposal to rationalise government departments, entities
and programmes to ensure greater efficiency.
This work, which will
result in the reduction of the number of Ministries, will inform the
configuration of government going into the next administration.
We
said in the State of the Nation Address that our most immediate task is
to dramatically reduce the severity of load shedding in the coming
months and ultimately end load shedding altogether.
Our focus is
on the full and urgent implementation of the Energy Action Plan. As
government, Eskom and other stakeholders, we remain committed to that
plan.
I am therefore announcing the appointment of a Minister in the Presidency responsible for resolving the electricity crisis.
The
primary task of the new Minister will be to significantly reduce the
severity and frequency of load shedding as a matter of urgency.
To
effectively oversee the electricity crisis response, the appointed
Minister will have political responsibility, authority and control over
all critical aspects of the Energy Action Plan.
This will help to
deal with the challenge of fragmentation of responsibility across
various departments and Ministers which, while appropriate under normal
circumstances, is not conducive to a crisis response.
The Minister
will be expected to facilitate the coordination of the numerous
departments and entities involved in the crisis response, work with the
Eskom leadership to turn around the performance of existing power
stations, and accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity.
To
enable the Minister to do this work, I will, in terms of section 97 of
the Constitution, transfer to them certain powers and functions
contained in relevant legislation.
In the State of the Nation
Address, I announced that a national state of disaster had been declared
to respond to the electricity crisis and its social and economic
impact.
The recently published disaster regulations empower the
Minister of Electricity to issue directions to, among others, exclude
critical facilities from load shedding where technically feasible;
expedite various regulatory processes for energy projects; and enable
Eskom to undertake critical maintenance more quickly and efficiently.
The
Minister in the Presidency for Electricity will liaise with other
relevant Ministers to ensure coherence in the issuing of other
directions during the national state of disaster.
The Minister in
the Presidency for Electricity will remain in office only for as long as
it is necessary to resolve the electricity crisis.
As I indicated
in my reply to the State of the Nation Debate on the 16th of February,
Deputy President David Mabuza asked to step down from that position.
I
am grateful for his support over the five years of his tenure and for
his dedicated service to the government and people of South Africa.
I
have decided to appoint Mr Paul Mashatile as Deputy President of
Republic. With respect to Ministers, I am making the following
appointments:
- Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni,
- Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
- Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa,
- Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa,
- Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mr Mondli Gungubele,
- Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Ms Thembi Nkadimeng,
- Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ms Noxolo Kiviet,
- Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Sihle Zikalala,
- Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Zizi Kodwa,
- Minister of Tourism, Ms Patricia de Lille,
- Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga.
With respect to Deputy Ministers, I am making the following appointments:
- Deputy Ministers in the Presidency, Ms Nomasonto Motaung and Mr Kenneth Morolong,
- Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Sisisi Tolashe,
- Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Pinky Kekana,
- There
will be two Deputy Ministers for Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs, Mr Parks Tau and Mr Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, - There will be two Deputy Ministers for Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo and Ms Judith Tshabalala,
- Deputy Minister of Public Works, Ms Bernice Swarts,
- Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Dipuo Peters,
- Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Obed Bapela,
- Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr Lisa Mangcu.
I
wish to extend my appreciation to all outgoing Ministers and Deputy
Ministers for their service to this administration and to the country.
I
have instructed both new and existing members of Cabinet to act with
speed and urgency to address the challenges that our country faces.
I
expect them to fulfil their tasks with rigour and dedication, to adopt a
zero tolerance approach to corruption wherever it exists, and to place
the interests of the people of South Africa foremost in the work that
they do.
This is the standard that I will hold them to,and I have
full confidence that they will meet it. We must waste no time and spare
no effort in restoring the promise of South Africa.
I thank you.
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