Wire News
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has carried out a significant cabinet reshuffle covering not only security posts but also the economy and health.
This follows days of unrest last month that left more than 350 dead.
In a televised speech on Thursday, Ramaphosa said he was abolishing the security ministry and placing the “political responsibility” of the spy agency under his office.
“This is to ensure that the country’s domestic and foreign intelligence services more effectively enable the president to exercise his responsibility to safeguard the security and integrity of the nation,” he said.
The reshuffle included appointments of 10 new ministers and 11 deputy ministers.
It came in the wake of what Ramaphosa described as an “orchestrated campaign of public violence, destruction and sabotage” that broke out after his predecessor, former President Jacob Zuma, was jailed for 15 months for ignoring a judicial investigation into corruption while in office.
Thandi Modise, the National Assembly speaker, was named as the new defense minister.
Ramaphosa also replaced Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who is widely respected for his handling of the pandemic but is shrouded in an alleged corruption scandal involving coronavirus communications funding.
Ramaphosa said Mkhize had asked to step down in order to bring certainty and stability to this important portfolio and was replaced by Joe Phaahla, who until now had been the deputy health minister.
Mkhize, 65, was placed on special leave early in June after corruption investigators opened a probe into a 150 million South African rand ($10.4m) health ministry communications contract.
