South Africa: A Presidency Overhaul, Some Surprises and Expected Departures As ANC Back Benches Deliver Deputy Ministers

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (file photo).
analysis

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reconstituted his Presidency with a new minister in the Presidency and two new deputies, a new electricity minister in the Presidency and the return to a full minister in the Presidency for performance monitoring and evaluation.

The extent and scope of the changes in the Presidency are significant -- even if expected were the appointments of Paul Mashatile, the ANC deputy president, as Deputy President of the country, and the Presidency infrastructure chief Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as electricity minister in the Presidency.

A key surprise on Monday night was the re-establishment of a full ministry for performance monitoring and evaluation, since the March 2015 death of Collins Chabane in a car crash. Since then, that function fell under the minister in the Presidency, and at times had a deputy minister in place.

Ramaphosa said such a minister would "focus greater attention on the performance of government", a key theme in his administration. The incoming performance monitoring and evaluation minister in the Presidency is Maropene Ramokgopa, formerly the presidential international affairs adviser and, since the December ANC Nasrec conference, also the governing party's second deputy secretary-general.

In addition, a new minister in the Presidency was announced. Khumbudzo Ntshavheni,...

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