President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed former justice minister Thembi Simelane as the new Minister of Human Settlements on Tuesday, a Cabinet change that has received public and political criticism.
This comes amidst heavy criticism, particularly regarding allegations of corruption that have plagued Simelane since her tenure as justice minister.
The decision to redeploy Simelane, who has been accused of benefiting from a R575 600 loan linked to the questionable dealings of Gundo Investments — akin to the infamous VBS Mutual Bank scandal — has left many in the political landscape questioning the integrity of Ramaphosa’s leadership.
Some parties view the reshuffle as an inadequate response to what they perceive as serious allegations against Simelane.
Opposition party leaders have voiced their discontent loudly with Democratic Alliance MP, Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, expressing her disapproval of Simelane being part of Ramaphosa’s Cabinet despite serious allegations of corruption and money laundering against her.
“Simelane does not belong in the Cabinet, end of story… Human Settlements is a vital department for providing housing to South Africans. It must be led by a credible individual,” she asserted, emphasising the need for integrity in such crucial governmental roles.
The DA’s criticism extended to calling Ramaphosa’s tactics “short-sighted and disrespectful” to the nation, pointing out that a person under suspicion for serious financial misconduct should not be entrusted with significant responsibilities in government.
Furthermore, according to IOL, ActionSA MP Athol Trollip has called the reshuffle a cowardly move and charged that Ramaphosa has neglected to correct “the entrenched culture of unaccountability” that permeates South Africa’s democratic system.
Trollip’s remarks are in line with an increasing number of opponents who think the president's choices show a hesitancy to make the difficult decisions required for substantive reform.
“Unsurprisingly, President Ramaphosa has once again shown South Africans that he lacks both the appetite and fortitude to break the entrenched culture of unaccountability that continues to plague our country,” said Trollip.
In a further response to the reshuffle, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the President’s office, outlined that the Cabinet changes were intended “to ensure the effectiveness of Cabinet in delivering to its mandate”, referencing section 91(2) of the Constitution.
Alongside Simelane’s new appointment, the reshuffle included the introduction of Phumzile Mgcina as Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala as Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, both of whom have previously served in other capacities within the national executive.
“The changes to the national executive are effective immediately. I would like to wish these members of the national executive well in their new positions,” the President said.
The Star