DESRY LESELE | Positive and negative aspects of SA’s new GNU cabinet

SA, a nation known for its vibrant political landscape has recently undergone a significant new cabinet appointment.

The changes come amidst a backdrop of increasing national frustrations and political tensions. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new cabinet appointments after weeks of intense negotiations.

The new cabinet was necessitated by the ANC losing its majority for the first time in the recent elections. This led to the formation of a coalition government, the government of national unity (GNU), comprising of 11 political parties.

The new cabinet sees a mix of old and new faces, with some ministries being merged and others separated. For instance, the ministries of electricity and energy have been merged, while agriculture has been separated from land reform and rural development.

The ministry of public enterprises has been dissolved, with its responsibilities now resting within the Presidency.

In my view, the recent cabinet appointments present a mixed bag of favourable and unfavourable aspects:

In several respects, the newly appointed cabinet can be viewed as a favourable development:

Inclusive governance:

The newly appointed cabinet, being a coalition government, unites parties from across the political spectrum.

This inclusivity can be perceived as a positive stride towards a more balanced and representative form of governance. It could further promote unity through diverse representation.

Investor confidence:

The new cabinet, which is seen as a significant upgrade over its predecessors, has been met with high investor confidence. It is anticipated to reassure both domestic and international investors. Restoring faith in SA’s government and economy is a critical initial step towards achieving elevated economic growth.

The reappointment of Godongwana as the minister of finance is widely regarded as a positive move, given his extensive experience in finance and his understanding of SA’s economic challenges.

The appointment of Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as the minister of electricity and energy has been met with positive responses too.

His appointment marks a significant step towards reforming the country’s energy sector. As the former head of the investment and infrastructure office in the Presidency, Ramokgopa brings a wealth of experience to his new role.

The recent cabinet appointments can be perceived as unfavourable in several ways.

The cabinet now consists of 77 members, which includes President Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, 32 ministers and 44 deputies. Ramaphosa has stated that the large cabinet is an attempt to ensure meaningful participation from all parties in the national executive.

This is despite his previous promise of a smaller cabinet.

The announcement of a larger cabinet implies more ministries and departments. This is likely to cause overlapping responsibilities and confusion, potentially slowing down decision-making processes due to the involvement of more individuals.

It could also instigate “turf wars” among departments with similar mandates. The expanded cabinet will necessitate more salaries, allowances and operational costs to be borne by the government, leading to increased government spending.

This is a concern, particularly in the current economic hardship that SA is experiencing. More taxpayer money will be allocated to maintain the ministers’ standard of living.

I align with numerous critics who suggest that a smaller, fit-for-purpose and more efficient cabinet would work better in the GNU. The primary concerns are that the large cabinet will result in bureaucratic inefficiencies and escalate government spending.

The president needs to assure the nation that there will be no excessive spending allocated to the ministers and deputies. He should further emphasise that performance-based incentives will be provided to ministers and deputies.

Another concern is the reappointment of certain ministers can be interpreted as endorsing poor performance, which could further impact service delivery to the public.

For example, Angie Motshekga, who has been in charge of the basic education portfolio since 2009, has now been appointed as the minister of defence. Her lengthy tenure in the education sector was fraught with various challenges and her new assignment to a completely different portfolio has certainly raised questions.

Blade Nzimande has been reappointed as the minister of science, technology and innovation. His previous role as the minister of higher education and training has been marked by incidents that have called his performance, leadership and decision-making into question.

During his time as the minister of higher education, Nzimande faced backlash for his decision to appoint a high court in Pretoria, leading Nzimande to withdraw the government notice that announced the appointment.

While some of the new ministers can be criticised for their lack of experience in their respective new portfolios, it can also be argued that their previous roles do not necessarily translate to their new portfolios.

Some new ministers have been appointed to roles that are quite different from their experiences, leading to questions about their suitability, skills and ability to effectively manage their new portfolios.

Despite this, I choose to maintain a positive outlook and cling to the belief that we, as a nation, will achieve economic growth and service delivery with the new ministers and deputies.

• Lesele is a charted accountant working in the banking sector. He writes in his personal capacity.