Seven New Ministers in Zuma’s Cabinet


By Oliver Ngwenya    27-May-2014 04:14 UTC+02:00
Ms. Faith Muthambi - The new minister of communications Photo: MyBroadband

Ms. Faith Muthambi – The new minister of communications
Photo: MyBroadband

Most of South Africa woke up to a new cabinet on Monday after the new cabinet was announced on Sunday night by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma.

In the announcement of his new cabinet, Zuma made several far-reaching changes and quite a few reappointments. Several ministers were moved from their portfolios to others while some completely new appointments were made.

David Mahlobo has been appointed the new state security minister. The formerly intelligence ministry was headed by Cwele until the most recent appointment. Mahlobo, the forty-two year old former head of department of the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Zululand. He was based in Mpumalanga and is also a member of the ANC National Executive Committee.

The second ‘green’ minister is Nkosinathi Nhleko who is the former head of department of the Labour department. He is the former chief whip of the ANC in the house of assembly. Nhleko, who will head the the Ministry of police in the new cabinet has chaired the public service and administration portfolio committee as well as the ANC caucus. In addition, he has also been a member of the judicial service commission.

In keeping with taking on board the ANC alliance partners, Zuma also appointed Senzeni Zokwana as the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries minister. Zokwana, who is the former president of the National Union of Mineworkers, is also a member of the South African Communist Party, an alliance partner of the ruling party. He has literally been brought up through the ranks of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Nomvula Makonyane has moved from being the Gauteng Premier into parliament. The holder of a certificate in finance and economics from Harvard, Makonyane will be holding the reigns in the ministry of Water and Sanitation. The fifty year old Nomvula has also graced the structures of the SACP and has served as the Gauteng MEC of Housing.

Another appointment that attempts to show that ANC is committed to gender equality is that of Lynne Brown as the minister of public enterprises. Replacing Malusi Gigaba, who goes to head the hot seat in the Home Affairs ministry, Brown is the former ANC premier in the Western Cape before it was lost to the opposition, Democratic Alliance.

Lindiwe Zulu, who made headlines when she was advising President Zuma on Zimbabwe and fell out of favour with Zimbabwe’s Mugabe, has been appointed to cabinet as the new minister of the new ministry of small business development. She comes to the post with a masters degree in arts. She has lived and worked in Angola and Tanzania as well as study journalism in Russia.

The new communications minister, Ms Faith Muthambi is a former manager of the Makhado Municipality. She has grown through the structures of the ANC and is one of the members of parliament who were selected just before the elections to consider the president’s response to the accusations leveled in the public protector’s report on Nkandla. She has been hailed as a person of integrity with extensive ICT knowledge by some members of the opposition with whom she worked in the portfolio committee.


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