Newly sworn in South African president and leader of African National Congress, Cyril Ramaphosa has already named his cabinet just four days after he
Newly sworn in South African president and leader of African National Congress, Cyril Ramaphosa has already named his cabinet just four days after he took the oath of office on May 25, 2019. Since his swearing in, 66 year old Cyril Ramaphosa has become the third president on the continent to have a gender-balanced cabinet, after Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Ramaphosa revealed that he had cut cabinet down the number of ministries in the country from 36 to 28. The cabinet is made up of 14 men and 14 women to achieve gender parity.
“To promote greater coherence, better coordination and improved efficiency, we (are) reducing the number of ministers from 36 to 28,” Ramaphosa said.
“This is a significant move of downscaling our state. Many people believed our government was bloated and this was agreed right across the board. All South Africans are acutely aware of the great economic difficulties our country has been experiencing. It is therefore imperative, we place priority on revitalising our economy while exercising the greatest care in the use of public funds. For the first time in the history of our country, half of all ministers are women.”
Patricia De Lille, the leader of an opposition party and former mayor of Cape Town, was part of those named minister in charge of public works and infrastructure. Reacting to her appointment, De Lille said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to have received the call to serve as a Minister of South Africa’s new cabinet. I have fought for justice in our country for more than 40 years and have no plans to give up fighting.”
