South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing criticism from political parties who said his decision to appoint Justice Minister Thembi Simelane – as the new Human Settlements Minister was “short-sighted and disrespectful” to citizens.
In a surprise move on Tuesday, Ramaphosa reshuffled his Government of National Unity (GNU) cabinet making four changes to the executive.
The Presidency announced that the executive changes are effective immediately, without providing further details.
In a portfolio reorganization, Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi will replace Simelane as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.
Political parties have reacted negatively to Ramaphosa’s decision. Many demanded Simelane’s removal due to her alleged involvement in the Venda Building Society (VBS) mutual bank money looting scandal.
Democratic Alliance MP advocate Glynnis Breytenbach criticized the move, stating that while Ramaphosa addressed the conflict of interest of having a Justice Minister accused of corruption, redeploying Simelane did not resolve the money laundering accusations against her.
Breytenbach emphasized that Simelane should not be in the Cabinet and that the Human Settlements department requires credible leadership. She also criticized the President’s indecisiveness and insincerity in fighting corruption.
ActionSA MP Athol Trollip described Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle as cowardly, asserting that it confirmed Simelane’s role as Justice Minister was untenable. Trollip argued that Ramaphosa’s actions demonstrated a lack of resolve to address the culture of unaccountability and highlighted the President’s own challenges with corruption within his cabinet.
Simelane is accused of receiving a “loan” of R575,600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company linked to the unlawful investments of municipal funds into the now-defunct VBS bank. This loan was allegedly received during her tenure as Mayor of Polokwane. Simelane has denied any wrongdoing and recently told Parliament that she did not receive any funds from the bank.
