Motshekga must decline defence minister role, urges civil society group
Civil Society organisation Save South Africa has added its voice to those questioning the suitability of Angie Motshekga as defence minister.
The organisation wants the former basic education minister to decline the offer “for the sake of the country”.
Motshekga will be sworn in as the new minister of Defence and Military Veterans in Cape Town on Wednesday.
She replaced Thoko Didiza, who is now the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Her new appointment shocked thousands of South Africans on Sunday evening, with others expressing their shock on X (formerly Twitter).
@DanCorderOnAir on X posted : "Angie has now been moved to Minister of Defence from Minister of Basic Education. How are those two jobs related? What are the transferable skills? She’s gone from kids to soldiers. She’s gone from ECDs to IEDs"
@IamMzilikazi posted : "I have nothing against Mama Angie Motshekga but being a defence minister at 69-years-old and taking over from a 64-year-old Thandi Modise must be demoralising to some of the SANDF generals".
@IsePhara: "Minister of Defense?😭
"She has 2 Bachelors Degrees in Education & Masters Degree in Education Yet she still destroyed Dept of Education. Now imagine, she does not know anything about national defense. Ramaphosa when I catch you".
@BrunoDaKingKong : "Let's give Minister Angie Motshekga her flowers, she has been Minister of Basic Education for a decade, SA President for 24hrs now Minister of National Defense Force 🔥🔥 she's that GIRL".
Save South Africa's Tebogo Mashilompane says Motshekga is not a suitable candidate for the role.
"It is our view that such a demanding role should have been given to someone with a military background in order to easily understand the operations within the ministry. We further refuse to support her appointment due to her past failures and lack of decisive leadership in the inistry of education she led over a decade.
"The call we are making is to help the former minister of education to do introspection and think for the safety and security of the people of South Africa. We are saying Mme Angie just do it (resign) for the sake of the 60 million South Africans.”
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