Who controls what: How government has been split among the ANC, DA and other parties-BY Seth Thorne

[Nat Quinn]

Who controls what: How government has been split among the ANC, DA and other parties

The recent announcement of South Africa’s seventh administration’s expanded Cabinet includes various political parties heading key departments.

While the ANC managed to retain the majority of portfolios, other parties were able to secure some key ministries which they have been eyeing to prove their hand at governance.

South Africa’s National Executive, including the President, Deputy President, Ministers, and their Deputies, was announced on 30 June 2024 after weeks of intense negotiations and has grown to be the largest it has ever been.

There are now 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers from political parties forming part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), including the ANC, DA, IFP, PA, PAC, UDM, FF Plus, AL Jama-ah, and GOOD parties.

Political economics expert from the Wits Business School, Professor Jannie Rossouw said that this bloated Cabinet was created to “co-opt people within the GNU to keep them happy.”

“Truthfully, I am (and many other people are) not sure what a deputy minister actually does and there are now 43 of them,” said Rossouw.

“Increasing many portfolios to having two deputies is in my opinion just an attempt to keep everyone (both in the GNU and ANC) happy,” to keep Cyril Ramaphosa as President, said Rossouw.

As a result of this particularly large Executive, Rossouw predicts that getting policy proposals will be far from easy, given the diverse views of partners co-governing these departments.

African National Congress:

The ANC, which makes up around 55% of the GNU, sports the lion’s share of the National Executive.

In addition to the President (Cyril Ramaphosa) and Vice President (Paul Mashatile) positions, the ANC is set to head 20 (62.5%) ministries, with an additional 33 (76.7%) ANC members serving as deputy ministers.

Professor Rossouw said that this large delegation of positions cannot be misconstrued as outright power, as this will prove costly to the ANC.

Although the ANC controls a majority of the executive, “the ANC cannot form a co-governing agreement like the GNU and expect to rule like it has an outright majority—even in the portfolios that they head, they have to find consensus with their partners,” as outlined in the statement of intent, said Rossouw.

The ministries that the ANC are heading are:

Of note was that the ANC held onto various key departments in the economic cluster, which the Democratic Alliance was unashamedly eyeing.

These include reappointing Enoch Godongwana as Finance Minister and David Masondo as one of his deputies (the other is the DA’s Ashor Sarupen), placing Parks Tau as Trade, Industry, and Competition minister, and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as Minister of Electricity and Energy.

Some have welcomed this continuity.

CEO-designate of Business Unity South Africa said that “the reappointment of Minister Godongwana demonstrates an ongoing commitment by the government to responsible fiscal policies that will reduce debt and free up spending for productive social and economic development.”

The ANC also kept ministries that it says are key to its “transformative agenda,” such as Employment and Labour.

The 33 deputy minister positions that the ANC received were:

Deputy Ministry Position	7th Administration
The Presidency	Nonceba Mhlauli & Kenneth Morolong
Women, Youth and Persons With Disabilities	Mmapaseka Steve Letsike
Agriculture	Rosemary Nokuzola Capa
Basic Education	Reginah Mhaule
Communications and Digital Technologies	Mondli Gungubele
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs	Dickson Masemola & Zolile Burns‐Ncamashe
Correctional Services	Lindiwe Ntshalintshali
Defence and Military Veterans	Richard Mkhungo
Employment and Labour	Jomo Sibiya & Phumzile Mgcina
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries	Bernice Swarts
Finance	David Masondo
Health	Dr. Joe Phaahla
Science, Technology and Innovation	Nomalungelo Gina
Higher Education	Buti Manamela
Home Affairs	Njabulo Nzuza
Human Settlements	Tandi Mahambehlala
International Relations and Cooperation	Alvin Botes & Tandi Moraka
Justice and Constitutional Development	Andries Nel
Land Reform	Chupu Stanley Mathabatha
Mineral and Petroleum Resources	Judith Nemadzinga‐Tshabalala
Police	Polly Boshielo & Cassel Mathale
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation	Seiso Mohai
Public Service and Administration	Pinky Kekana
Public Works and Infrastructure	Sihle Zikalala
Sports, Arts and Culture	Peace Mabe
Tourism	Maggie Sotyu
Trade, Industry and Competition	Zuko Godlimpi
Water and Sanitation	David Mahlobo

Of note is that of Sihle Zikalala, Joe Phaahla and Mondli Gungubele, who went from being ministers in the previous administration, to deputies in the same department.

Democratic Alliance:

The Democratic Alliance (DA), which makes up just over 30% of the GNU, took six (19% of) key ministry positions.

This includes:

The DA has long advocated for a much smaller and leaner national executive, calling for a grand total of 15 ministries—but now that the party is part of the biggest-ever Cabinet, it seems to have changed its tune.

Solly Malatsi, the DA’s national spokesperson and recently appointed as Communications minister, told News24 that the size of the Cabinet was the president’s prerogative.

“We find ourselves in a unique era of a coalition government, in which the size of the Cabinet has been determined by the president,” said Malatsi.

“For us, the priority right now is to ensure that we can play a meaningful role in this administration and to have Cabinet ministers perform ethically, excellently and diligently in this administration. I’m going to leave it at that,” he said.

The party also received 6 (14% of) deputy ministry positions, which includes key delivery departments:

Deputy Ministry Position	7th Administration
Electricity and Energy	Samantha Graham
Finance	Ashor Sarupen
Higher Education	Mimmy Gondwe
Small Business Development	Jane Sithole
Trade, Industry and Competition	Andrew Whitfield
Water and Sanitation	Isaac Seitlholo

“In the economics cluster, the DA will use our influential Cabinet seats in Agriculture, Public Works and Infrastructure, the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as our Deputy Minister roles in Finance, Trade and Industry, and Small Business Development, to pursue rapid growth and job creation,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen,

“On the governance front, the DA will build on our experience… to reform and enhance the vital frontline portfolio of Home Affairs [and we] will use our representation as Minister of Basic Education, as well as our Deputy Minister of Higher Education, to focus… on improving the quality of education our children and students receive,” he added.

The DA leader said that the Communication portfolio, alongside the Deputy positions in Water and Sanitation as well as Energy and Electricity, also “enables the DA to contribute to the improvement of these critical services.”

Inkatha Freedom Party:

The IFP, which makes up around 6% of the GNU, received two (6% of) minister portfolios for its leader and deputy.

These include:

The IFP has long eyed the COGTA portfolio, with KwaZulu Natal IFP Premier Thami Ntuli saying that the appointment of Hlabisa was a good decision, citing his experience in local government.

“Because COGTA deals with local government, he is from local government, he was once a mayor, I think in such a department, important considerations were made,” said Ntuli.

He also said that Hlabisa’s background of traditional leadership systems brings a wealth of experience and knowledge essential “for steering our municipalities in the right direction.”

The IFP’s deputy, Buthelezi, was placed to head the department which responsible for the organisation and administration of the civil service, underscoring its manifesto aims of creating a smooth civil service.

Looking at the deputy ministries, the IFP also received two, namely:

Deputy Ministry Position	7th Administration
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries	Narend Singh
Transport	Mkhuleko Hlengwa

Patriotic Alliance

The PA, which makes up just over 3% of the GNU, received one ministerial post (3%).

Its party leader, Gayton McKenzie, received the position of Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture.

When joining the GNU, the PA made it explicit that they are after one of three portfolios, including Home Affairs, Police, Sports, and Arts and Culture, or they would be heading for the door.

His two preferential portfolios (the former two) aligned with the PA’s core policy points, which concern illegal immigration and community crime.

McKenzie’s appointment to the Sports, Arts and Culture ministry is seen to have been a move to avoid any more GNU turbulence, as the biggest party in the grouping, the DA and ANC, were both eyeing these two powerful portfolios.

The PA said that it is happy with its position, as “a kid in sport is a kid out of court.”

Freedom Front Plus

The FF+, which holds over 2% share in the GNU, received one ministerial post.

Its president, Dr Pieter Groenewald, was announced as Minister of Correctional Services after the position was split from the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services.

“The party’s participation in the Executive Authority will ensure that the right policy is implemented to create equal opportunities for everyone in the country,” said Groenewald.

Pan Africanist Congress

The PAC had its sole Member of Parliament, leader Mzwanele Nyhontso appointed Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development.

This ministry was split from that of Agriculture, which was given to the DA.

The separation of Agriculture from Land Reform and Rural Development resulted from much pressure from left-leaning parties and factions of the ANC. Some were quoted as saying that giving the contentious issue of land reform to the DA “would be a betrayal to the struggle.”

The PAC, whose manifesto priorities lay in the issue of land, said that being “appointed to the Ministry of Land & Rural Development, we [can] fulfil our commitment…. to advance the revolutionary agenda of the liberation struggle.”

GOOD

GOOD’s sole Member of Parliament, leader Patricia De Lille, was reappointed as Minister of Tourism.

De Lille served in the sixth administration’s Cabinet, first as minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and then Tourism.

“We joined the GNU with no expectation, request or negotiations around positions — we joined to contribute constructively to a new era of power-sharing and lend our support to a stable and effective government,” said GOOD.

GOOD said that De Lille’s previous performance in the portfolio is what got her there again.

Other appointments:

Other appointments from political parties in the GNU for deputy minister positions include:

Deputy Ministry Position	7th Administration
Defence and Military Veterans	Bantu Holomisa (UDM)
Social Development	Ganief Hendricks (Al Jama-ah)

SOURCE:Who controls what: How government has been split among the ANC, DA and other parties – BusinessTech

[Author]

Posts