• Thabile Mange writes:
Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled his cabinet for the very first time since he came to power.
President Ramaphosa changed his cabinet because he had no choice. Otherwise, he would have kept it the same until the end of his first term.
The president was expected to make changes in the security cluster, after the cluster failed dismally to do its job, which resulted in riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The riots claimed the lives of more than 300 people.
He has axed the incompetent Nosiviwe Mapisa Ngqakula from her position as Defence minister. Then he swapped Ayanda Dlodlo from her State Security position to be the Public Service minister. Bheki Cele remains the minister of Police.
For some strange reason, the president decided to keep the minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, in her position. This shows that Ramaphosa does not give a damn about public sentiment. No, he is not serious about the education of our kids, though he claims otherwise.
The president announced that he has allowed the Finance minister Tito Mboweni to go. Mboweni did a sterling job under trying circumstances. I’m going to miss him. He was honest and forthright. And he was never accused of any corrupt activity. I hope that he will get a cooking show on channel 161 or 159.
In the space of Mboweni, the president has appointed Enoch Godongwane as Finance minister. I’m highly disappointed at this appointment. Godongwane, who is the former deputy minister of Public Enterprise, resigned in 2012 under a dark cloud. He was accused of embezzling the pension of workers at the Canyon Springs investment company.
A commission of inquiry was set up to investigate the corruption allegations against the former deputy minister of Public Enterprise. The commission found that he, and his wife Thandiwe, were amongst those who “were party to the carrying on of the business of the company, either fraudulently or at least recklessly”.
It is clear that the reshuffle was not aimed at improving things in our country but rather placing comrades that support the president. It’s also clear that Ramaphosa’s promise to fight corruption was just a talk. It seems his fight against corruption is selective. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
