President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the appointment of infrastructure czar Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as the new electricity minister.
In an anticipated cabinet reshuffle, Ramaphosa focused much of his speech on the current energy crisis, as well as the role Ramokgopa will play in his cabinet to coordinate the country’s response.
Ramaphosa, who came to office promising to reshuffle his cabinet, has instead added two new ministers to his team, the electricity minister as well as the minister with special responsibility for planning, monitoring and evaluation.
But he said this would be rationalized into the next administration.
Ramaphosa said the aim of the changes announced on Monday was to ensure that the government was properly capacitated and directed to implement the commitments made in last month’s state of the nation address and budget speech.
He said all cabinet members were directed to focus on “agreed action” to make a “meaningful difference” and “real progress” over the next 12 months and lay the foundations for a sustained recovery in the future.
Ramaphosa also appointed Paul Mashatile as his deputy, due to the delay in the cabinet reshuffling – which many wanted sooner after the ANC’s elective conference in December – for “some processes to be followed” regarding appointments to the executive.
The President said that the government is focused on the full and urgent implementation of the Energy Action Plan, adding that the ruling party remains committed to the program.
He said the main task of the new electricity minister is to reduce the severity and frequency of load shedding as soon as possible.
Ramokgopa will also oversee the response to the electricity crisis, with political responsibility, authority and control over all critical aspects of the Energy Action Plan.
“This will help address the challenge of fragmentation of responsibilities across various departments and ministers which, while appropriate under normal circumstances, is not conducive to crisis response,” Ramaphosa said.
“The Minister will be expected to facilitate the coordination of the many departments and entities involved in the crisis response, work with Eskom leaders to transform the performance of existing power stations, and accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity.”
The President said the newly issued regulations for the country’s energy state of the disaster declared at the end of the month, authorized the minister of electricity to issue instructions such as excluding critical facilities from open-shedding where technically feasible; streamlining various regulatory processes for energy projects; and enable Eskom to carry out critical maintenance faster and more efficiently.
Ramokgopa will liaise with other relevant ministers to ensure “coherence” in issuing other directions during national disasters, Ramaphosa said, adding: “The minister in the electricity presidency will remain in office only as long as necessary. to deal with the electricity crisis.”
In another suspension announced on Monday, Maropene Ramokgopa, the second deputy secretary-general of the ANC, took the post of minister in the presidency responsible for monitoring and evaluation, an important role to ensure that the cabinet, departments and entities deliver on their duties. mandate.
The current minister in the presidency Mondli Gungbele, has been moved to communications and digital technology, replacing Khumbudzo Ntshaveni, who is currently the minister of state security in the presidency.
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu is completely out of the cabinet, having served in every government since 1994, and will be replaced by Patricia De Lille. Former KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala took over from De Lille in the public works portfolio, while Thembi Nkadimeng became the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, replacing Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who is currently the minister in the presidency responsible for women, children and people with disabilities. have no abilities.
Important positions of public service and administration, which have been vacant since the departure of Ayanda Dlodlo to the World Bank in April 2022, will now be occupied by former Eastern Cape prime minister Noxolo Kiewet, while deputy transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has been promoted to transport. minister, a position vacated by the election of Fikile Mbalula as ANC secretary-general in December.
Zizi Kodwa moved from minister in the presidency for national security to sports and arts and culture, replacing Nathi Mthethwa, who has also been removed from the cabinet.