Cabinet shake-up in South Africa

South African President, Jacob Zuma

Cabinet shake-up in South Africa
 Funke Atohengbe, Pretoria

South African President, Jacob Zuma has sacked two cabinet ministers and suspended the National Police Commissioner, General Bheki Cele.

The affected ministers are those for Public Works, Ms Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and her counterpart in the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Ministry, Mr Sicelo Shiceka.

Ms Mahlangu-Nkabinde has been replaced by the Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Land Reform, Thembeleni Thulas Nxesi.

President Zuma said Public Service and Administration Minister, Richard Baloyi now takes over Shiceka’s post while Mr Roy Padayachie who was Minister of Communications, oversees the Public Service and Administration portfolio.

The National Police Commissioner was suspended while the two cabinet Ministers were sacked after they were indicted for wrong doing in a report by the National Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela.

Madonsela had found Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and General Cele guilty of misconduct in relation to the procurement of office accommodation for the South African Police Service while Sicelo Shiceka was found guilty of using public funds for personal use.

Dina Pule is now Communications Minister.

All the appointments take immediate effect.

Investigation reports

The country’s ombudsman, Madonsela, who was appointed to investigate complaints against government officials, had called on Zuma to act against them.

Her report revealed that Shiceka had spent more than 68,000 dollars of government money on unauthorized luxury travel and hotel bills.

In the report released in September, Madonsela said: “Shiceka's actions are unlawful and constituted maladministration and dishonesty in respect of public money."

She also accused him of travelling to neighbouring Lesotho while on sick leave at taxpayers' expense under a fake name.

In a separate investigation, Madonsela alleged that Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Gen Cele, Zuma’s powerful ally, had authorised multi-million dollar property deals that saw police buildings being leased from a company at inflated prices.

Denial

However, Shiceka had rejected her findings, saying they were "baseless" and vowed to clear his name in court.

He justified some of his hotel bills by saying his ministerial home had been infected by mosquitoes.

 Subsequently, Zuma had said that Gen. Cele would be suspended, pending an inquiry into the property deals, to be headed by former Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro.

Necessary changes

Commenting on the shake-up, the Secretary General of the ruling African National Congress, Gwede Mantashe said the changes would contribute significantly to strengthening government’s performance.

 Additional reports: Reuters/Shakira/Ekata