Trevor Manuel was appointed to head a powerful new planning body on Sunday, keeping the former finance minister at the heart of policy making in a decision likely to please investors.
President Jacob Zuma announced that Manuel’s replacement at the finance ministry would be Pravin Gordhan, who has headed the tax authority and whose appointment is also a sign of policy continuity.
Zuma said he expected a positive market reaction to the naming of Gordhan as finance minister.
”There’s not going to be any mishap but as I say, who can predict the markets,” Zuma said.
Zuma named his predecessor, Kgalema Motlanthe, as his deputy.
Barbara Hogan was moved to public enterprises and replaced by Aaron Motsoaledi as health minister.
Zuma has created two education ministries — one for basic and one for higher education. The latter post went to South African Communist Party chief Blade Nzimande, while Angie Motshekga was put in charge of basic education.
Mining magnate Tokyo Sexwale will be minister of human settlements — the new name for the housing department.
Zuma said in his inauguration speech on Saturday the country should acknowledge it faces tough economic times and will not be spared the impact of the global credit crunch.
New dawn
Sunday newspapers said it was now time for hard work and good governance as Zuma and his new Cabinet take office.
The Sunday Times headline declared ”A new dawn” after Zuma’s inauguration on Saturday in front of tens of thousands in Pretoria.
The newspaper said the government should be open about promises it could not fulfill as Zuma pledged to tackle poverty and unemployment amid a global recession.
”The new team … must do more with less,” the paper argued.
”They cannot implement all the promises made during the campaigns. This is a reality the government must acknowledge and explain, not seek to conceal.”
With a similar headline hailing the ”Zuma dawn”, the Cape Town Weekend Argus editorial, headlined ”Great Expectations” noted Zuma’s harshest critics were keeping quiet, giving him time to settle in and prove the sceptics wrong. – Sapa, Reuters