South African brothers,
Today, I am announcing some changes to the National Executive.
The purpose of these changes is to ensure that the government has the capacity and is properly directed to implement the commitments made in the State Speech and the Budget Speech.
We have said that South Africans want action, they want solutions and they want government to work.
All members of the Executive have been directed to focus on the agreed actions that will make a significant difference now, that will allow real progress in the coming year and will lay the foundation for continued recovery in the future.
All parts of the government are focused on addressing the most pressing issues facing South Africans: burden reduction, unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, and crime and corruption.
There have been some concerns expressed by South Africans about the amount of time it has taken to finalize these changes to the Executive.
This delay is the result of a number of processes that have to be followed, some of which are related to the requirements of the Constitution relating to the appointment of members of the National Executive.
The President appoints the Vice President, Minister and Deputy Minister from among the members of the National Assembly. The President can appoint no more than two Ministers and two Deputy Ministers from outside the National Assembly.
Realizing that there is just over a year left in this 6th administration, the change is not about fixing the National Executive.
The changes I am proposing today are to fill the vacancies that have occurred in the Executive and direct government more effectively to areas that require swift and decisive action.
I have sought to balance the need for new skills and abilities to drive the agenda we outlined in the State of the Nation Address with the important task of ensuring stability and continuity in the work of government.
In meeting our current challenges, we are creating two new ministries.
The first is the Minister of Electricity to solve the crisis immediately reduce the load.
The second is the Minister with special responsibility for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to focus more on government performance.
While this will lead to an increase in the number of ministries in the short term, as indicated in the State of the Nation Address, I have ordered the President and the National Treasury to develop a proposal to streamline government departments, entities and programs to ensure greater security. efficiency.
This work, which will lead to a reduction in the number of Ministries, will inform the configuration of the government to the next administration.
We said in the State of the Nation Address that our most urgent task is to dramatically reduce the severity of the load shedding in the coming months and finally end the load shedding altogether.
Our focus is the full and rapid implementation of the Energy Action Plan. As government, Eskom and other stakeholders, we remain committed to the plan.
That is why I announced the appointment of a Minister in the Presidency who is responsible for solving the electricity crisis.
The main task of the new Minister is to reduce the severity and frequency of the burden reduction as soon as possible.
In order to effectively oversee the response to the electricity crisis, the designated Minister will have political responsibility, authority and control over all critical aspects of the Energy Action Plan.
This will help overcome the challenge of fragmentation of responsibilities in various departments and Ministers which, although appropriate in normal circumstances, is not conducive to crisis response.
The Minister will be expected to facilitate the coordination of the many departments and entities involved in the response to the crisis, work with Eskom leaders to revive the performance of existing power stations, and accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity.
To enable the Minister to carry out this work, I will, in terms of section 97 of the Constitution, transfer to them certain powers and functions contained in the relevant rules.
In my State of the Union address, I announced that a state of national disaster had been declared in response to the electricity crisis and its social and economic impacts.
The recently published disaster regulations authorize the Minister of Electricity to issue directions, among others, to remove critical facilities from technically feasible loads; streamlining various regulatory processes for energy projects; and enable Eskom to carry out critical maintenance faster and more efficiently.
The Minister in the Presidency of Electricity will liaise with other relevant Ministers to ensure coherence in issuing other directions during national disasters.
The Minister in the Electricity Presidency will remain in office only as long as necessary to resolve the electricity crisis.
As I said in my reply to the State of the Nation Debate on February 16, Vice President David Mabuza has called for his resignation.
I am grateful for his support during his five years in office and for his dedicated service to the government and people of South Africa.
I have decided to elect Mr. Paul Mashatile as the Vice President of the Republic. With regard to the Minister, I make the following appointment:
- 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,
- The Presidential Minister responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa,
- Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Mr Mondli Gungulele,
- Minister of Cooperatives and Traditional Affairs, Mrs. Thembi Nkadimeng,
- Minister of Public Services and Administration, Ms Noxolo Kiviet,
- The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala,
- Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa,
- Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Patricia de Lille,
- Minister of Transportation, Sindisiwe Chikunga.
With regard to the Deputy Minister, I make the following appointment:
- Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Ms. Nomasonto Motaung and Mr. Kenneth Morolong,
- Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mrs. 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 of Water and Sanitation, 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 BUMN Obed Bapela.
- Deputy Minister of Transportation, Lisa Mangcu.
I would like to thank the outgoing Ministers and Deputy Ministers for their services to this administration and to the country.
I have instructed the new and existing members of the Cabinet to act quickly and swiftly to address the challenges facing our country.
I look forward to carrying out my duties with rigor and dedication, adopting a zero tolerance approach to corruption everywhere, and putting the interests of the South African people first in the work I do.
That’s the standard I’ll hold myself to, and I’m sure they’ll meet it. We should waste no time and no effort to restore the promise of South Africa.
I thank you.