Mondli Gungubele (Grade C-)

Department
Minister in the presidency

Key Goals

1. Review national cluster system, interministerial committees and the public sector intergovernmental and implementation forums: Achieved
2. Develop the ministerial performance management process: Progress
3. Institutionalise public service participatory governance: Progress
4. Overseeing state security and intelligence: Progress

Analysis

Since taking over as minister in the presidency, Gungubele has seen huge changes in his job and certainly one of the most testing times for his presidency.

Part of the criticism he had to deal with early on in his position, having been appointed in 2020 after the death of Jackon Mthembu, was the media’s limited access to the president. 

There were also key organisational and staffing issues he had to attend to. He quickly rose to the occasion, being instrumental in filling critical posts, including the director general in the ministry’s department of planning, monitoring and evaluation, as well as several deputy director generals posts across departments.

For the first time in seven years, the office of the presidency received a clean audit and the ministry has since introduced weekly media briefings with the president’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya. It’s a step in the right direction, given that the media had been crying for years about the president’s lacklustre communications team. And Gungubele himself has been managing cabinet briefings. 

But, as the man in charge of state security, this is one burden he must address, and address it quickly. The institution has been hollowed out. Its role of intelligence was largely focused on the country’s politics and, as we have seen in the recent past, the state of that key institution was at crisis level. 

We have worked hard in the past year to improve our communications systems to ensure that government information is more accessible and that we regularly communicate with the people of South Africa in a clear, coherent and continuous manner. 

To this end, we have reintroduced cluster briefings more frequently on various events and topics. Clusters and individual departments also regularly kept the nation informed on instances of national importance.. 

We have maintained regular cabinet media briefings, post-cabinet meetings every two weeks and recently introduced the presidency weekly briefings. The president has kept his Monday letters constant. 

We believe the president has always been accessible to the media. All public engagements are followed by door-stop interviews wherein the president engages the media. We have, to the best the president’s diary permits, ensured that opportunities for Q and As are provided. 

We have appointed a director general for the State Security Agency. As at 31 March, 89% of all senior management service positions were filled and  81% of the acting appointments have been terminated.

Investigations into criminal offences and breaches of regulations are at an advanced stage. In the 2021-22 financial year, 23 disciplinary hearings have been set down, two appeals were finalised and the two members were dismissed.

Ministers

Cyril Ramaphosa	David Mabuza	Maite Nkoana-Mashabane	Fikile Mbalula
Angie Motshekga	Aaron Motsoaledi	Nathi Mthethwa	Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Mmamoloko Kubayi	Thandi Ruth Modise	Khumbudzo Ntshavheni	Ebrahim Patel
Naledi Pandor	Mathume Joseph Phaahla	Pravin Gordhan	Senzo Mchunu
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams	Lindiwe Sisulu	Thokozile Didiza	Lindiwe Zulu
Patricia DeLille	Ronald Lamola	Barbara Creecy	Bheki Cele
Blade Nzimande	Mondli Gungubele	Enoch Godongwana	Gwede Mantashe
	Thulas Nxesi (Public Service and Administration)	Thulas Nxesi (Employment and Labour)