Cabinet of South Africa
| Cabinet of South Africa | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 1910 |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Leader | President |
| Appointed by | Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Ministries | 32 |
| Responsible to | President of South Africa |
| Headquarters | Union Buildings, Pretoria |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of South Africa |
|---|
|
 South Africa portal |
The Cabinet of South Africa is the most senior level of the executive branch of the Government of South Africa. It is made up of the president, the deputy president, and the ministers.[1]
Overview[edit]
The president appoints the deputy president and ministers; assigns their powers and functions, and may dismiss them. The president may select any number of ministers from the members of the National Assembly, and may select no more than two ministers from outside the assembly. While deputy ministers are not members of the cabinet, they are required to assist relevant ministers in the execution of their duties.
A member of the Cabinet is appointed by the president to be the leader of government business in the National Assembly.[2]
A cabinet minister or deputy minister's term of office begins upon their swearing-in, not the announcement of their appointment by the president.[3] Their term of office ends upon the inauguration of a new president (including re-inauguration of the same president after an election).
Current cabinet[edit]
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his cabinet on 30 June 2024, sixteen days after being elected president of the 7th administration on 14 June 2024. The delay in settling the cabinet followed the ANC securing only about 40% of the vote in the May national election. When announcing the cabinet president Ramaphosa stated, “In casting their votes, the people [of South Africa] made it clear that they expect political parties to work together to deliver on a mandate of transformation, growth, and renewal. To give effect to this mandate, it was agreed that a Government of National Unity, which brings together parties from across the political spectrum, should be formed.”[4]
This Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed by the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Good Party (Good), Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), United Democratic Movement (UDM), Al Jama-ah, Rise Mzansi (Rise), and the United Africans Transformation (UAT). The partnership between the GNU parties is guided by a Statement of Intent, which outlines fundamental principles and a minimum programme of priorities.
The following table details the distribution of Parliamentary seats,[5] cabinet members (which include the president and deputy president), and deputy ministers among the parties in the GNU. The background colours in the table highlight the relative value of the numbers, with darker shades representing higher values. See below for proportions and ratios regarding these executive positions.
| Party | Seats | Cabinet members | Deputy Ministers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 159 | 22 | 31 | 53 |
| DA | 87 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| IFP | 17 | 2 | - | 2 |
| PA | 9 | 1 | - | 1 |
| FF+ | 6 | 1 | - | 1 |
| UDM | 3 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Rise | 2 | - | - | 0 |
| Aljama | 2 | - | 1 | 1 |
| PAC | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| UAT | 1 | - | - | 0 |
| Good | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Total | 288 | 34 | 38 | 72 |
The Cabinet[edit]
The current members of the cabinet of the GNU are listed in the table below.[6] The deputy president and initial set of ministers officially took office upon their swearing-in on 3 July 2024.[7]
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Deputy Ministers[edit]
Deputy ministers are appointed by the president of South Africa. They are not members of the cabinet. They assist cabinet ministers in the execution of their duties. The current deputy ministers are listed in the table below. The original group of deputy ministers officially took office upon their swearing-in on 3 July 2024.[7]
Proportions and ratios of positions as between GNU parties[edit]
The table below details the distribution of parliamentary seats, cabinet members, and deputy ministers among the parties of the GNU. The percentages represent the proportion of each category held by GNU parties only, excluding other parties in Parliament. The background colours in the table highlight the relative value of the numbers, with darker shades representing higher values.
| Party | % of Seats | % Cabinet Members | % Deputy Ministers | % Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 55.2% | 64.7% | 81.6% | 73.6% |
| DA | 30.2% | 17.6% | 13.2% | 15.3% |
| IFP | 5.9% | 5.9% | 2.8% | |
| PA | 3.1% | 2.9% | 1.4% | |
| FF+ | 2.1% | 2.9% | 1.4% | |
| UDM | 1.0% | 2.6% | 1.4% | |
| Rise | 0.7% | 0.0% | ||
| Aljama | 0.7% | 2.6% | 1.4% | |
| PAC | 0.3% | 2.9% | 1.4% | |
| UAT | 0.3% | 0.0% | ||
| Good | 0.3% | 2.9% | 1.4% |
The table below illustrates the ratios of executive positions to Parliamentary seats among the parties of the GNU. The background colours in the table highlight the relative value of the numbers, with darker shades representing higher values.
| Party | Ratio: Cabinet members vs Seats | Ratio: Deputy Ministers vs Seats | Ratio: Cabinet & Deputies vs seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 1.17 | 1.48 | 1.33 |
| DA | 0.58 | 0.44 | 0.51 |
| IFP | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.47 |
| PA | 0.94 | 0.00 | 0.44 |
| FF+ | 1.41 | 0.00 | 0.67 |
| UDM | 0.00 | 2.53 | 1.33 |
| Rise | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Aljama | 0.00 | 3.79 | 2.00 |
| PAC | 8.47 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
| UAT | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Good | 8.47 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
Changes to ministerial portfolios from 2009[edit]
The president may restructure cabinet at his discretion, meaning that ministerial portfolios may be changed or dissolved.[8] Defunct ministerial portfolios include those in the table below. They are listed chronologically by the year within which they were dissolved or changed.
Milestones[edit]
In 1989, Rina Venter became the first woman to hold a cabinet post in South African history.[15] Following the end of apartheid and the first multi-racial elections in 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa and appointed a Government of National Unity consisting of African National Congress, National Party, and Inkatha Freedom Party members. In 1996, the National Party withdrew from the GNU and the cabinet's composition has been dominated by ANC members since then. The Inkatha Freedom Party continued to hold seats in the government, as minority partners, until the elections of 2004. In 2014, Lynne Brown became the first openly LGBT person to serve as a cabinet minister in South Africa and Africa.[16]
In 2019, president Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the first gender-balanced cabinet in South African history.[17]
Pre-1994 history[edit]
On 31 May 1910, former Boer military general and the former prime minister of the Transvaal Colony Louis Botha became the first prime minister of the newly established Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state. He appointed the first cabinet of the Union of South Africa after the general election held on 15 September 1910. It consisted of members of the now-defunct South African Party.[18] For the next fourteen years, it only consisted of members of the SAP. Botha died in 1919 and was replaced with another Boer general and SAP member, Jan Smuts.[19]
In 1924, J. B. M. Hertzog of the National Party became prime minister through a coalition with the Labour Party and appointed a cabinet that consisted of National Party and Labour Party members. In 1934, the Hertzog's National Party and the South African Party merged to form the United Party.[20] Hertzog won the 1938 general election, but in 1939 the United Party was divided between supporters of Hertzog and those of his Justice Minister Jan Smuts because of the question of South Africa's role in the Second World War. Hertzog was voted out in the United Party and resigned as prime minister, which allowed Jan Smuts to form a government in coalition with the Dominion Party and the Labour Party.[21] The 1948 general election was won outright by D. F. Malan's Herenigde Nasionale Party and Malan appointed his first cabinet composed of National Party members. For the next forty-six years, South Africa would be governed by the National Party.
On 31 May 1961, South Africa became a republic and Queen Elizabeth II was replaced as head of state with a state president with largely ceremonial powers.[22] The Prime Minister was still head of government and appointed/dismissed members of the cabinet. In 1984, the constitution was amended and the office of prime minister was abolished while the office of state president was given more responsibilities. State president P. W. Botha was now the head of state and head of government.[23] In the 1984 tricameral parliamentary elections, Allan Hendrickse's Labour Party won a majority of seats in the coloured House of Representatives, while Amichand Rajbansi's National People's Party won a plurality of seats in the Indian House of Delegates.[24] Hendrickse and Rajbansi were appointed to serve in Botha's second cabinet as Minister of Coloureds' Affairs and Minister of Indian Affairs, respectively, becoming the first non-white members of the South African cabinet.
Lists of cabinets since 1910[edit]
- First Cabinet of Louis Botha, 1910–1915
- Second Cabet of Louis Botha, 1915–1919
- First Cabinet of Jan Smuts, 1920–1921
- Second Cabinet of Jan Smuts, 1921–1924
- First Cabinet of J.B.M Hertzog, 1924–1929
- Second Cabinet of J.B.M Hertzog, 1929–1933
- Third Cabinet of J.B.M Hertzog, 1933–1938
- Fourth Cabinet of J.B.M Hertzog, 1938–1943
- Third Cabinet of Jan Smuts, 1943–1948
- First Cabinet of D.F. Malan, 1948–1953
- Second Cabinet of D.F. Malan, 1953–1958
- Cabinet of Hans Strydom, 1958–1961
- First Cabinet of Hendrik Verwoerd, 1961–1966
- Second Cabinet of Hendrik Verwoerd, 1966
- First Cabinet of B.J. Vorster, 1966–1970
- Second Cabinet of B.J. Vorster, 1970–1974
- Third Cabinet of B.J. Vorster, 1974–1978
- First Cabinet of P.W. Botha, 1981–1984
- Second Cabinet of P.W. Botha, 1984–1989
- Cabinet of F.W. de Klerk, 1989–1994
- Cabinet of Nelson Mandela, 1994–1999
- First Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki, 1999–2004
- Second Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki, 2004–2008
- Cabinet of Kgalema Motlanthe, 2008–2009
- First Cabinet of Jacob Zuma, 2009–2014
- Second Cabinet of Jacob Zuma, 2014–2018
- First Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa, 2018–2019
- Second Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa, 2019–2024
- Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa, 2024–
References[edit]
- ^ "The Constitution of South Africa". GCIS. 1996.
- ^ "About Government". South Africa Government Online. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014.
- ^ Section 95 of the Constitution requires that ministers swear or affirm faithfulness to the Republic and obedience to the Constitution before they commence their duties.
- ^ The ore of information informing this section is https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/meet-sas-new-cabinet, regarding the President's announcement on 30 June 2024.
- ^ https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/politics/elections-2024-how-many-seats-every-party-won-final-breaking-live-analysis-k-party-anc/
- ^ Where incumbents first took office in the same portfolio before the swearing-in of the current cabinet, the earliest date of taking office is used, reflecting practical continuity. However, these terms are not legally continuous. The table considers a previous term only if the portfolio name matches exactly with that in the immediately preceding period.
- ^ a b "Historic day for SA as government of national unity ministers take oath of office". Daily Maverick. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996". South African Government. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Statement by President Jacob Zuma on the appointment of the new Cabinet". South African Government. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "President Jacob Zuma announces members of the National Executive, Pretoria". Presidency. 25 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- ^ "#CabinetReshuffle: Ramaphosa announces new ministers and a merge". IOL News. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "President Cyril Ramaphosa announces reconfigured departments" (Press release). Presidency. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ a b "President Cyril Ramaphosa: Changes to the national executive". South African Government. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Meet SA's New Cabinet". South African Government. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Claiborne, William (17 September 1989). "S. AFRICAN LEADER RESHUFFLES CABINET". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "South Africa appoints first lesbian to cabinet". the Guardian. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "South Africa gets gender-balanced cabinet". BBC News. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "1. South Africa (1910-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Jan Smuts | South African statesman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "South Africa". 16 October 2007. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "J.B.M. Hertzog | prime minister of South Africa | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "The Republic of South Africa is established | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Arooran, K. Nambi (1984). "Recent Constitutional Reforms in South Africa and the Attitude of South African Indians". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 45: 829–839. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44140281.
- ^ "The Tricameral Parliament | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
