President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has implemented a cabinet reshuffle, which comes a week after the country’s deputy president, David Mabuza, resigned from his position as a member of the National Assembly.
The reshuffle resulted in several new appointments, including Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as the minister in the presidency for electricity and Paul Mashatile as the new deputy president, who replaced David Mabuza. Additionally, Ramaphosa fired Nathi Mthethwa, Lindiwe Sisulu, and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
Earlier in February, Ramaphosa announced during his state of the nation address that he would appoint a new minister of electricity, whose primary objective is to alleviate the current energy crisis by coordinating with various departments and entities and collaborating with Eskom leadership to improve the performance of existing power stations and accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is the new minister for women, youth, and people with disabilities while Sihle Zikalala heads the ministry of public works and infrastructure. The sports, arts, and Culture minister is Zizi Kodwa. Minister in the presidency is Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency responsible for performance, monitoring, and evaluation is Maropene Ramakgopa. Patricia de Lille is the new minister of tourism, Noxolo Kiviet will take over the public service and administration ministry while Thembi Nkadiment assumes the cooperative governance and traditional affairs ministry.
The new appointments and the focus on the energy crisis demonstrate a sense of urgency and responsiveness from the government.
However, these sudden changes may cause confusion and uncertainty among the public, especially since the reshuffle includes several new faces in ministerial positions. The energy crisis, which has resulted in rotational power cuts, or “load shedding,” is a significant issue affecting South Africans daily.