By Siyabonga Mkhwanazi 
Aug 5, 2021
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The Cabinet reshuffle was not only about accountability, but to fill vacancies that have been in place for months, the ANC said on Thursday.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said President Cyril Ramaphosa had consulted the party and the alliance partners on the changes.
“We welcome the announcement by the President of the Republic to reorder and reconfigure Cabinet in the manner he has done,” said Mabe.
He said the changes were necessary and not only related to the question of accountability following the riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
“It goes beyond accountability, we have been sitting with vacancies. We lost Minister in the Presidency and we lost deputy minister of mineral resources Bavelile Hlongwa,” said Mabe.
“The President needed to assure the people of South Africa about stability. There is a need to account, but Jackson Mthembu passed on at the time we did not think there will be riots.”
The IFP said the new ministers must not be appointed to fill vacant positions, but credible enough to lead their portfolios.
IFP chief whip Narend Singh said the country needed fresh blood to lead the departments in government.
“With the country on its knees, we need new talent, not just a shuffling of the deck, with Ministers in a never-ending game of musical chairs. Further, although we welcomed the reconfigured Cabinet in 2019, it was not enough to streamline and re-energise the Executive,” said Singh.
“It is essential that competent people be appointed if we want to rebuild our country and grow our ailing economy.
“All Ministers – not just those appointed in new posts today – need to be held accountable. Regular performance assessments need to be conducted, with the President providing feedback every six months on their progress. Those not performing and delivering upon their mandates need to be replaced,” he added.