Deputy President David Mabuza was responding to questions in parliament, where he delivered an update on the work the committee has done so far in the fight against the coronavirus.
The DA has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s late night Cabinet reshuffle on Monday night, calling the appointment of David Mabuza as the country’s deputy president “a danger to our country”.
The problem with the country was “the ANC itself”, said leader of the opposition Mmusi Maimane.
“The ministers who make up Ramaphosa’s compromised and partially captured cabinet show what we’ve known all along – it’s about the ANC and connected cadres first, and the interests of South Africa second,” he said.
“The Cabinet remains filled with compromised ministers, Gupta loyalists, and corruption accused. The quicker we remove the ANC from government, the quicker our nation will reach its true potential.”
Maimane was very critical of Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Mabuza as his deputy.
“Tonight we saw the fatal compromise Cyril Ramaphosa made at Nasrec exposed for all to see, as David Mabuza will be sworn in as the deputy president of South Africa. Ramaphosa’s decision to side with scandal-ridden Mabuza undermines the integrity of his stated commitment to fight corruption and rebuild from the tatters of the Zuma decade,” Maimane said.
He said Mabuza’s appointment was terrifying as Mabuza had been accused of various controversies.
“During his two decades in office, he has been at the centre of a string of controversies ranging from blatant corruption to violent thuggery.”
“It is terrifying that Mabuza has been accused of creating his own personal fiefdom in Mpumalanga, where he ruled with terror and intimidation. He has been accused of having his own personal ‘military’ which have allegedly been responsible for numerous political killings in Mpumalanga,” Maimane said.
It was Maimane’s view that Mabuza’s appointment was a danger to the country and flew in the face of Ramaphosa’s commitment to fight corruption.
“It was expected that Ramaphosa would fire Zuma loyalists who fall within the opposing faction of the ANC. It would have been strange if he didn’t. These include Faith Muthambi, Mosebenzi Zwane, Des van Rooyen, David Mahlobo, Lynne Brown and Bongani Bongo. We welcome the decision to fire these ministers,” Maimane said.
He further criticised the decision to retain Malusi Gigaba as Minister of Home Affairs and Bathabile Dlamini as Minister of Women in the Presidency, following her dismal performance as Minister of Social Development.
“And lastly, the appointment of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as a minister in the Presidency, rewards an individual who was prepared to continue and advance Jacob Zuma’s state capture project if elected ANC president,” he said.
Despite the criticism, Maimane welcomed the return of Pravin Gordhan as Minister of Public Enterprises, and Nhlanhla Nene as Finance Minister.
“South Africans will quickly begin to see the wood from the trees, and that Cyril Ramaphosa is beholden to the very ANC factions that protected Jacob Zuma for a decade, and brought our country and the economy to its knees,” he said.
“Cyril Ramaphosa cannot bring total change and a new beginning to South Africa, as it is the ANC who he answers to, not the people.”—News24