On Wednesday, South Africa’s newly appointed cabinet officially took office, ready to tackle the pressing tasks of driving economic growth, bringing about social change and bridging the socio-economic inequality gap.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo presided over the swearing-in of the 32-member cabinet in Cape Town.
President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled his much-anticipated Government of National Unity (GNU) cabinet, retaining Paul Mashatile as his deputy and appointing erstwhile rival John Steenhuisen to the important Agriculture ministry.
Ramaphosa has drawn criticism for his bloated cabinet, which also includes 43 deputy ministers.
Seven parties received ministerial posts in the government. Twenty ministers came from the African National Congress (ANC), six from the Democratic Alliance (DA), two from the Inkatha Freedom Party, and one each from the GOOD, Freedom Front Plus, Patriotic Alliance, and Pan Africanist Congress of Azania parties.
It comes a month after the ANC yielded its parliamentary majority in the May elections, forcing it to enter negotiations with other parties to form a coalition government.