9 August 2021
Last update on Monday, August 9, 2021 At 4:38 PM
The South African president has taken responsibility for the destruction, looting and other violence that has hit the Rainbow Nation in recent weeks, following the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma.
Cyril Ramaphosa overhauled his government in depth on August 5. Ten ministries are involved, including Finance, State Security and Health. This is the first time since his election in 2019. The Ministry of State Security was simply suppressed, swept away by its powerlessness during the recent security disturbances.
This office is now directly attached to the Presidency of the Republic. For Ramaphosa, “the intelligence services, internal and external, allow the president to exercise more effectively his responsibility to protect the security and integrity of the nation”.
In Health, Zweli Mkhize, now a former minister, was mired in a corruption scandal. President Ramaphosa has indicated that he has asked to “step down from his post to bring stability to this important function”. In early June, Zweli Mkhize was placed on “special leave” following the opening of an investigation for corruption against two of his relatives.
Public communication contracts linked to the fight against the pandemic were reportedly awarded to them irregularly. A doctor by training, he had been widely appreciated for his reactivity in the face of Covid-19.
For his part, Tito Mboweni is leaving the finance department after having “navigated through particularly difficult economic times”, according to Ramaphosa.
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