Cyril Ramaphosa
/ 20 December 2024

Cyril Ramaphosa

SCORE: C+ Despite the ANC losing its majority after the 29  May elections, President Cyril Ramaphosa has kept it in power through the government of national unity (GNU) and has overseen the swift transition to a multi-party government, which he has managed to hold together since the end of June. Ramaphosa may be a lame duck […]

Paul Mashatile
/ 20 December 2024

Paul Mashatile

SCORE: C- Paul Mashatile has had a very Ramaphosian 2024: cautious, inoffensive and ever-present. He runs the deputy presidency much like his boss did — which can be soothing to a country that hasn’t forgotten how forgettable his predecessor, DD Mabuza, was. In that position he has been the cheerleader-in-chief for the government of national […]

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
/ 20 December 2024

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

SCORE: B Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has made notable progress in addressing power cuts and keeping load-shedding at bay for more than six months. His ability to do this was initially doubted by many, who argued that it would be impossible to stabilise Eskom which had made a loss of over R20 billion a year. But, under […]

John Steenhuisen
/ 20 December 2024

John Steenhuisen

SCORE: C- Taking a scythe to the department of agriculture, rural development and land reform was a clever way for President Cyril Ramaphosa to offer Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen a cabinet position while making it clear to him who still rules the South African roost. In a ministry where foot-and-mouth coverage is about as […]

Enoch Godongwana
/ 20 December 2024

Enoch Godongwana

SCORE: C- Three years into his tenure, Enoch Godongwana continues to navigate his job with a “tough love” approach, mirroring his predecessor, Tito Mboweni, an advocate of austerity. His reappointment following national elections reassured markets, signalling continuity and emphasised his commitment to fiscal discipline. Godongwana set a fiscal deficit target of 3.4% of GDP by […]

Gwede Mantashe
/ 20 December 2024

Gwede Mantashe

SCORE: E When the ministry of energy was removed from his portfolio, Gwede Mantashe was quick to clarify it was not a demotion but an opportunity to elevate petroleum, which had “long played second fiddle” to other sources in the energy sector. Central to this is his Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act, which will fast-track […]

Thembi Simelane
/ 20 December 2024

Thembi Simelane

SCORE: E The justice minister must, like Caesar’s wife, be beyond suspicion. Thembi Simelane never met that standard and her six-month tenure was remarkable only as time spent denying credible corruption allegations, rather than showing the decency to step aside. The justice minister holds final political responsibility for the embattled National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which […]

Senzo Mchunu
/ 20 December 2024

Senzo Mchunu

SCORE: C+ Senzo Mchunu inherited a particularly problematic under-resourced police department that is still recovering from the ravages of state capture. He appears to hold a long view regarding transforming the police service and is open to new ideas. He appreciates the depth of the problems facing him and that even with the resources the […]

Patricia de Lille
/ 20 December 2024

Patricia de Lille

SCORE: A Patricia de Lille is seen as humble, accessible and responsive to concerns of the industry, which sees her as a welcome team player. She has intervened immediately when safety issues affecting tourists have been brought to her attention, getting hold of the police and other authorities to take action. De Lille has taken […]

Siviwe Gwarube
/ 20 December 2024

Siviwe Gwarube

SCORE: C Siviwe Gwarube has steadily made her influence felt. A major development was the signing of the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act in September, which Gwarube objected to but said she would implement. The minister has outlined plans for 2025 and has been strict on funding. She halted the R9.8 billion National […]

Velenkosini Hlabisa
/ 20 December 2024

Velenkosini Hlabisa

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 […]

Ronald Lamola
/ 20 December 2024

Ronald Lamola

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 […]

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni
/ 20 December 2024

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

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 […]

Gayton McKenzie
/ 20 December 2024

Gayton McKenzie

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 […]

Nomakhosazana Meth
/ 20 December 2024

Nomakhosazana Meth

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 […]

Nobuhle Nkabane
/ 20 December 2024

Nobuhle Nkabane

SCORE: B- When President Cyril Ramaphosa separated science and higher education once more, Nobuhle Nkabane took on the most nebulous of public demands: rebuilding trust. South Africa’s greatest frustrations have been borne out on campuses over the past decade. A strong student sentiment of resistance grew, while the failings of the National Student Financial Aid […]

Pieter Groenewald
/ 20 December 2024

Pieter Groenewald

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 […]

Sindisiwe Chikunga
/ 20 December 2024

Sindisiwe Chikunga

SCORE: C- Sindisiwe Chikunga has been in her post for a few months, but she was the woman in charge when the National Council of Provinces’ select committee on social services commended her department for achieving its first clean audit and improving its performance outcomes from 81% in the 2022-23 financial year to 88% in […]

Mmamoloko Kubayi
/ 20 December 2024

Mmamoloko Kubayi

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 […]

Parks Tau
/ 20 December 2024

Parks Tau

SCORE: B In his first six months leading the department of trade, industry and competition, Parks Tau has made effective moves. He led the delegation to the United States to lobby for the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) agreement. Alongside other African ministers of trade Tau urged the Biden administration and […]

Dean Macpherson
/ 20 December 2024

Dean Macpherson

SCORE: B Dean Macpherson immediately rolled up his sleeves and faced the construction mafia. He has also demonstrated determination and taken action to deal with hundreds of dilapidated state-owned buildings that are costing his department millions of rands in rates when they could be sold or fixed to generate income that can be used to […]

Leon Schreiber
/ 20 December 2024

Leon Schreiber

SCORE: B Leon Schreiber did two laudable things after he landed at the home affairs department. First, he conceded what every South African and many foreigners know — the litany of incompetence, backlogs and corruption. Second, he decided to revive the Immigration Advisory Board, which his predecessors had mothballed despite it being mandatory in law. […]

Aaron Motsoaledi
/ 20 December 2024

Aaron Motsoaledi

SCORE: C Since Aaron Motsoaledi’s appointment, the department has been faced with a spike in foodborne illness, which initiated investigations to trace the cause and the regulation of spaza shops and their owners. This step illustrated positive reinforcement by Motsoaledi to improve oversight of food safety measures taken to decrease the risk of contamination. The […]

Mzamo Buthelezi
/ 20 December 2024

Mzamo Buthelezi

SCORE: C Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi has, so far, managed to avoid a deadlock with unions for the 2025-26 and beyond wage negotiations. In October, the government and unions agreed to continue the wage negotiations for the country’s roughly 1.3 million civil servants after Mzamo’s department tabled a 4.7% increase for the […]

Barbara Creecy
/ 20 December 2024

Barbara Creecy

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 […]

Angie Motshekga
/ 20 December 2024

Angie Motshekga

SCORE: F- So broken and badly managed is the department of defence that three men on a donkey with a duct-taped drone could possibly topple Pretoria. The department incurred unauthorised expenditure of R3.4 billion in 2023-24, making it not so much a department as a place where taxpayer money goes to cough up and die. […]

Mzwanele Nyhontsho
/ 20 December 2024

Mzwanele Nyhontsho

SCORE: C+ One of the first actions of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania president on taking office was to drop his plan to scrap section 25 of the Constitution and to instead focus on using existing legislation to secure access to land. Mzwanele Nyhontsho inherited a backlog of just over 5  700 land claims from […]

Dion George
/ 20 December 2024

Dion George

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 […]

Maropene Ramokgopa
/ 20 December 2024

Maropene Ramokgopa

SCORE: C- Maropene Ramokgopa highlighted South Africa’s progress in the 30-Year Review of Democracy report, which showed improvements in poverty reduction, access to services and advances in education. But she has been criticised for not bridging the gap between planning and execution. The National Development Plan (NDP) set ambitious goals such as achieving an annual […]

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
/ 20 December 2024

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

SCORE: C Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has had a mixed performance. The department allocated R2  billion through the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, benefiting more than 80  000 small businesses and cooperatives and creating nearly 100  000 jobs. She initiated programmes to enhance trade opportunities and retail placement for small enterprises. The minister also oversaw initiatives such as distributing point-of-sale equipment […]

Solly Malatsi
/ 20 December 2024

Solly Malatsi

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 […]

Pemmy Majodina
/ 20 December 2024

Pemmy Majodina

SCORE: D- Known for her flamboyant hats and headdress, Pemmy Majodina has big shoes to fill. Her predecessor, Senzo Mchunu, drew widespread praise for his tireless efforts to turn around the department, which had been hollowed out by state capture. She is still in the early stages of her tenure and under close scrutiny and […]