South African opposition parties have slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first Cabinet, saying it was a “fatal compromise”. President Ramaphosa announced his Cabinet on Monday, after taking over South Africa’s top job a fortnight ago.
He named his controversial African National Congress (ANC) deputy, Mr David Mabuza, second in command.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Mr Mmusi Maimane, said Cabinet remains filled with compromised ministers, Gupta loyalists and corruption accused.
“Ramaphosa’s decision to side with scandal-ridden Mabuza undermines the integrity of his stated commitment to fight corruption and rebuild from the tatters of the Zuma decade. There is no doubt that David Mabuza is unfit to be the deputy president of South Africa,” Mr Maimane said.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it rejected the Cabinet, adding that the new South African leader bowed to factional pressure in the ANC.
“Bathabile Dlamini has essentially been rewarded with a promotion into the presidency regardless of the fact that she nearly collapsed the social grants system for the poor,” said EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
Ms Dlamini, formerly of Social Development, is now minister of Women in the Presidency, while former Finance minister Malusi Gigaba returns to Home Affairs.
“Above all is Gigaba, whose state capture crimes come close to treason as he facilitated the handing over of state institutions to a foreign nationals in the form of the Guptas. To keep such characters in the Cabinet is a direct rejection of the constitutional order; Gigaba lied under oath, in a court of law,” Dr Ndlozi said.
The opposition, however, welcomed the sacking of allegedly incompetent ministers Faith Muthambi, Mosebenzi Zwane, Des van Rooyen, David Mahlobo, Lynne Brown and Bongani Bongo.
The return of former Finance minister Pravin Gordhan as minister for Public Enterprises was applauded.
Mr Nhlanhla Nene, sacked by Mr Zuma from the Finance portfolio in 2015, returns to head the Finance ministry.
“Nene’s first action as Finance minister must be to reverse the increase in VAT and transport levies, and introduce a range of spending cuts to plug the deficit in our public finances,” Mr Maimane charged.
Dr Ndlozi called on South Africans to reject the entire ANC and vote it all out in the 2019 national elections.
“His (Ramaphosa) inability to dispense with individuals implicated in corruption is evidence that no one can save ANC from corruption. It is entangled for good,” he said.
The Eastern African
UM– USEKE.RW
