This is President Jacob Zuma’s full and unedited statement delivered on Sunday evening, announcing his new cabinet. Zuma fired communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda, replacing him with former deputy communications minister Roy Padayachie.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media,
Fellow South Africans,
Today marks the beginning of the CAF African Women’s Championship hosted by our country, featuring eight of the best African women’s soccer teams.
We congratulate Banyana Banyana on winning their first game in this competition today, in Daveyton where they played against Tanzania.
This is a good start and we trust that it signals greater achievements for our team in this tournament.
We have spent 17 months in government since the inauguration of the President of the Republic and the appointment of the National Executive.
We have completed the process of the reconfiguration of government, and that of putting in place systems that will help us change the way government works in order to improve service delivery.
During this period, we also had time to study the functioning of the current administration in order to ascertain what works and what needs to be changed or strengthened.
We are guided by the mission of our government, which is to improve the quality of life of all South Africans especially the poor, working with all our people.
Access to basic services is still as important as it was when we attained our freedom in 1994.
Given the fact that we still face serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the country, government has to work at a faster pace to change the lives of the poor.
Our people need to see a visible improvement in the delivery of water, electricity, health care, education, social security, civic services, safety and security and a host of other basic needs.
We have the resources, including skilled and experienced senior staff, who have to ensure that these services reach our people, under the leadership of their Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
We reiterate that we need a national executive and public service that knows where our people live, who fully understand the needs of our people and what we are trying to achieve.
We have taken a long and hard look at some of the departments with a view to strengthening some Ministries.
We have noted that a few of them require the addition of Deputy Ministries to assist Ministers in carrying out their responsibilities.
Education is a top priority of this government. We have seen it prudent to strengthen the skills and human resource development sector by appointing a Deputy Minister to assist the Minister of Higher Education and Training, given the size of the portfolio.
The Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration Ministry also has an expansive mandate which includes performance monitoring and evaluation, youth development, government communications and marketing as well as general administration in the Presidency.
A Deputy Minister is being appointed to assist the Minister to manage this over-arching portfolio.
We have mentioned before the intention to electrify at least one hundred and fifty homes each year in the country.
As of 31 March 2010, the total number of households still awaiting electricity, including informal settlements, was estimated at more than three million.
In addition, we have to ensure security of supply in our oil and gas sector. This busy and strategic Ministry will also now have a Deputy Minister.
The mining industry has been the foundation of economic development in South Africa for well over a century.
In 2009, the mining industry contributed more than thirty percent to the country’s total export revenue, and employed two point nine percent of the country’s economically active population.
The Mineral Resources Ministry will be expanded with the addition of a Deputy Ministry to enable it to take forward its responsibilities.
NEW APPOINTMENTS
After careful consideration, I have decided to make the following appointments of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, in no specific order:
Communications:
Minister: Mr Radhakrishna “Roy” Padayachie
Deputy Minister: Mr Obed Bapela.
Social Development
Minister: Ms Bathabile Dlamini
Deputy Minister: Ms Maria Ntuli
Public Entreprises:
Minister: Mr Malusi Gigaba
Deputy Minister: Mr Benedict “Ben” Martins
Arts and Culture
Minister: Mr Paul Mashatile
Deputy Minister: Dr Joseph Phaahla
Public Works:
Minister: Ms Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde
Water and Environmental Affairs:
Minister: Ms Edna Molewa
Women, Children and Persons with Disability:
Minister: Ms Lulu Xingwana
Sports and Recreation
Minister: Mr Fikile Mbalula
Presidency: Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration:
Deputy Minister: Ms Dina Deliwe Pule
Correctional services:
Deputy Minister, Adv Ngoako Ramathlodi
Trade and Industry:
Deputy Minister: Ms Elizabeth Thabethe
Economic Development
Deputy Minister: Mr Enoch Godongwana
Energy:
Deputy Minister: Ms Barbara Thompson
Health:
Deputy Minister: Dr Gwen Ramokgopa
Higher Education:
Deputy Minister: Ms Hlengiwe Mkhize
Home Affairs:
Deputy Minister: Ms Fatima Chohan
Labour:
Minister: Ms Mildred Oliphant
Mineral Resources:
Deputy Minister: Godfrey Oliphant
Police:
Deputy Minister: Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu
International Relations and Cooperation
Deputy Minister: Mr Marius Fransman
Public Service and Administration:
Deputy Minister: Ms Ayanda Dlodlo
Rural Development and Land Reform
Deputy Minister: Mr Thembelani “Thulas” Nxesi
We extend our gratitude to the outgoing members of Cabinet for their contribution to government and the country.
Some have served in government for many years and we trust that they will still put their expertise at the disposal of the country.
Some of the outgoing members are to be deployed in other tasks in government.
We congratulate the incoming members of Cabinet as well as the Deputy Ministers and wish them well in their new responsibilities.
The new team will be sworn into office tomorrow at 2pm.
I thank you.
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