New South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his cabinet, making substantial changes to ministerial positions.
He reappointed Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister, reversing his sacking by the former President Jacob Zuma.
Mr Zuma, who is facing charges of corruption, was forced to stand down earlier this month by his own party.
Mr Ramaphosa took over, promising a “new dawn” for the country and pledging to be tough on corruption.
“In making these changes, I have been conscious of the need to balance continuity and stability with the need for renewal, economic recovery and accelerated transformation,” Ramaphosa said, while announcing the appointments in Pretoria on Monday night.
- South African union leader, mine boss, president
- Zuma: the survivor whose nine lives ran out
- Press applauds Zuma exit
He kept several ministers appointed by his predecessor, but other former allies of the former president were demoted or lost their jobs.
Media captionCheers and song as Ramaphosa elected South Africa president
David Mabuzza, the deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) ruling party, was named Deputy President of South Africa.
Mr Zuma’s ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who Mr Ramaphosa beat in December’s ANC leadership election, was appointed minister to the presidency.
The biggest headline is his re-appointment of Nhlanhla Nene into the finance role he was fired from in December 2015. At the time the move was widely criticised, sparking panic among investors and causing the Rand to fall to record-lows against the Dollar.
Mr Ramaphosa, a 65-year-old former businessman, dedicated much of his first State of the Nation address earlier this month promising to fight corruption, boost the economy and create jobs.
He came to power after a turbulent departure by his predecessor, who resisted days of internal party pressure to resign from his post.
Mr Zuma’s nine-year tenure as president was dogged by corruption allegations, while the country struggled with ballooning national debt and high levels of unemployment
You might also like
The Ronald McDonald socks aside…How serious is Cyril about South Africans’ health?
The new commander-in-chief has made promises, but how likely is he to deliver? Hours after former President Jacob Zuma’s resignation, President Cyril Ramaphosa was pictured walking and jogging along the Sea Point promenade. It wasn’t the first time he’d been spotted doing this. In January, East Londoners saw him walking along the beach … in […]

R57-billion for free tertiary education
Government has been forced to hold back on some of its capital projects and reduce spending on goods and services in order to find R57-billion to fund free tertiary education. Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba made the announcement in Parliament on Wednesday when he tabled the national budget for 2018. Gigaba said an additional amount of […]

Comments
Sign in to join the discussion.
Sign inNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.