Ramaphosa tinkers with his cabinet
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced several changes
to his cabinet at
the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday.
Ramaphosa has appointed the deputy minister of telecommunications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams as the new minister of communications, where she will replace Nomvula Mokoyane.
Mokoyane has been moved to the department of environmental affairs, filling a vacancy left by the late Edna Molewa.
In the much-anticipated reshuffle, Ramaphosa also announced that Siyabonga Cwele, who had been serving as telecommunications minister, will replace the departed Malusi Gigaba at home affairs.
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"Ive also decided to merge the ministries of communications and telecommunications and postal services into a single ministry under the new minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams," Ramaphosa said.
This reverses a decision by former president Jacob Zuma in 2014 to split the departments into two.
Ramaphosa says the decision to re-merge the two ministries is the first wave of re-aligning government to transform the economy.
The departments will remain separate but report to Ndabeni-Abrahams until after the general elections next year.
He also annouced the resignation of deputy minister of energy Thembisile Majola, which will be effective from January.