SCORE: B Velenkosini Hlabisa quickly brought both structure and order to South Africa’s most dysfunctional tier of government, reading them the riot act over unpaid Eskom and water board debts. He has established an inter-ministerial committee focused on improving audit outcomes at all 257 municipalities and has intervened in a number of stalled municipal infrastructure […]
SCORE: B Ronald Lamola has brought his particular blend of principle and pragmatism to foreign affairs. So far, so good. He rightly wants South Africa to stand for more on the international stage than solidarity with Palestine. The question is what. Lamola is lucid about the risks of the Donald Trump presidency and the rights […]
SCORE: C+ It was a blessing for South Africans and foreign nationals when Gayton McKenzie was named minister of sports, arts and culture instead of home affairs. And it was surprising when the Patriotic Alliance leader acted decisively by pulling the plug on “superfan” funding. Last year, R1.3 million of taxpayers’ money was spent on sending […]
SCORE: C Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s tenure in 2024 saw legislative advancements, including the tabling of the Public Service Amendment Bill and Public Administration Management Amendment Bill, aimed at restructuring South Africa’s public service. These efforts align with her vision of a professional public sector, which she promised in her 2024 budget speech. Operation Vulindlela, which gained […]
SCORE: C Minister Barbara Creecy succeeded the inept Sindisiwe Chikunga when the seventh administration began in July. The baggage she has to sort out is plentiful. The department’s reintroduction of the country’s passenger rail system has been rocked by a potential R5.1 billion lawsuit for debts not paid to a service provider. The contractor had […]
SCORE: E- Nomakhosazana Meth was appointed to the portfolio under the government of national unity, but even in those few months, her efforts to put measures in place to create jobs, alleviate poverty, safeguard workers’ rights and ensure workplace compliance were not satisfactory. During the second quarter, the unemployment rate reached a two-year high of […]
SCORE: B Solly Malatsi has hit the ground running as a rookie minister — perhaps a reflection of the fact that he is one of the youngest members of cabinet at a youthful 38 years. In September, Malatsi received a forensic report on governance and financial breaches at the Postbank that resulted in financial losses […]
SCORE: C+ There has been a case of new ooms sweeping clean in the prisons department, where new minister Pieter Groenewald has made significant progress. Groenewald has identified five priorities in reforming the parole system; maintenance of 243 prisons; easing overcrowding (prisons are on average 46% over capacity); food production in all prisons and improving […]
SCORE: D Before Mmamoloko Kubayi was moved to the department of justice and constitutional development on 3 December, the minister appeared to have had a good handle on the human settlements portfolio. It received a clean audit during the 2023-23 financial year, and there was no fruitless and wasteful expenditure either. The minister stabilised her […]
SCORE: C It’s still early days for Dion George, who candidly admitted ahead of the United Nations COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, that he had never heard of the Conference of Parties before he assumed office in July. Hard-working, energetic and pragmatic, with a strong background in finance and economics, George is a self-proclaimed […]