Great honour serving the country - Jeff Radebe
Former energy minister Jeff Radebe says he is proud to have been able to serve under five presidents.
Radebe released a statement after he was not included in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet, which was announced on Wednesday.
This is the first time since 1994 that Radebe has not been included in cabinet.
He says he is proud of the gains he achieved and for all the contributions he made throughout his say in government.
Radebe headed seven ministries: the Department of Public Works, Public Enterprises, Acting Health, Transport, Justice and Constitutional Development, The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Energy over the past 25 years.
"It would be an understatement to say that I have found no greater honour to have been trusted by five Presidents - Presidents Mandela, Mbeki, Motlhante, Zuma and the current President Ramaphosa - since the dawn of democracy to serve my country and the people of South Africa."
Radebe says this marks a new era for him and his family.
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"Politics and running government have been my life. Twenty-five years in government has meant time away from loved ones and a busy schedule.
"The day I made a vow to serve the African National Congress was the beginning of a life long commitment to this country - sacrificially, at times, at the expense of my family. Considering new options marks a new era for me and my family. I look forward to being able to enjoy the routines of normal life as well as immersing myself into new possibilities."
Radebe thanked President Ramaphosa for the trust placed in him.
"As the saying goes, every next level of our lives will demand a different version of ourselves.
I would like to thank President Cyril Ramaphosa for having trusted me with the Energy portfolio. I also thank the people of South Africa who remind government every day of the price that was paid for this democracy. May they continue to hold us, as public servants to account and to remind us of our duty to serve.
“I wish the new cabinet well - it is indeed a new Dawn for all us.”