The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) notes with extreme disappointment the bloated Cabinet appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to accommodate 11 parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) in spite of the fact that there’s been a lot of support for reducing rather than increasing the executive.
In the run up to the 2024 elections, both President Ramaphosa and DA leader John Steenhuisen were seen promising South Africans a smaller cabinet and less national government departments for our government to become more efficient and to save money.
More money will now go to salaries of cabinet members which will deny those who are working on the ground of more resources, such as doctors and nurses, teachers, and police men and women. Our hospitals are severely understaffed, and it cannot be justified that with these issues mentioned Cabinet is increased in size. This is indefensible, particularly noting the fact that 11 of the Portfolios will now have two deputy ministers. This sets a bad precedent for the future.
The Cabinet has grown from 30 to 32 portfolios, and there are now 43 deputy ministers, up from 36. This is larger than that of the United States of America at 26, the United Kingdom at 24, Japan at 20, and Germany who has a mere 17. It must be noted that these countries are much bigger in their respective economies and in their population size.
South Africans voted against high levels of unemployment, the high cost of living, power and water cuts, and high levels of crime. President Ramaphosa’s new bloated Cabinet surely is not a showing of responsiveness to these priorities.
The ACDP is concerned about the economic status of our country. Rather than the President leading by tightening the belt, he is increasing the size of expenditure on his Cabinet and at the same time denying more resources to uplift the poorest of the poor.
The President must ensure that there is proper justification for the size of his cabinet, especially given that more than 10 portfolios will now have a minister and two deputies. If ministries such as these fail, the opposition will have every right to move a motion of no-confidence in the president, and this the ACDP will support. We will remain vigilant and ensure that the executive is held to account to the people of South Africa.
