Newly appointed members of the national executive, which the include the deputy president, ministers and their deputies, are being sworn in at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday, with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo set to preside over the ceremony.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took his oath of office two weeks ago at the Union Buildings, announced his national executive on Sunday, 30 June, after days of negotiations with political parties constituting the so-called government of national unity (GNU).
South Africa’s largest-ever national executive
Ramaphosa’s executive is the largest South Africa has ever had – 32 Cabinet ministers and 43 deputy ministers – and it includes members from the ANC, Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Al Jama-ah and Good party.
WATCH SWEARING IN OF DEPUTY PRESIDENT, MINISTER AND DEPUTIES
In the sixth administration, Cabinet had only 30 ministers and the number has now grown to 32. As a result, the number of the members in the national executive has also increased as some Ministers have two deputies.
Notably, the ministries of Electricity and Energy have been merged, and a separate ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources will be established.
Likewise, the Ministry of Agriculture has been separated from the Ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development.
In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education will be separated from the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development has also been separated from the Ministry of Correctional Services.