The civil rights organisation AfriForum is of the opinion that Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa is busy making a habit of disappointing citizens. According to the organisation, Ramaphosa’s choice of ministers indicates that the public’s interests are the last thing the president is concerned with. Several of the ministers have already in the past been implicated in incongruences, but the fact that Bheki Cele, Minister of Police, is still in his position, is inexplicable.
After Cele’s disastrous handling of the violence and looting in KwaZulu-Natal, he should have been dismissed immediately. The South African Police Service is crumbling under Cele’s leadership, or rather, lack thereof. 58 people are being murdered in South Africa each day, but Ramaphosa still chooses to have such an incompetent person in one of the most important positions in his cabinet. Cele’s biggest priority seems to be apprehending people not maintaining social distance, while corruption and violent crime are prevailing.
The choice of Thandi Modise as new Minister of Defence is also puzzling. A person that couldn’t even take responsibility for the animals on her own farm, is now responsible for the country’s defence.
“The fact that Ramaphosa has now decided that the intelligence service will in future resort under the Minister in the Presidency, is also a big red flag. The intelligence service is supposed to function apolitical, but one gets the impression that Ramaphosa now wants to employ the intelligence service in ANC faction fights. We know how the service was abused by the Zuma administration and I am afraid that it will be very naïve to think Ramaphosa will not do the same,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Manager of Campaigns.
The cabinet reshuffle just once again shows that Ramaphosa and the ANC couldn’t care less about the man on the street but would rather only expand their own power.