Members of the media, 

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us.

We have since the launch of the ANC Manifesto indicated the type of new administration we envisaged in terms of size, shape and political focus.

We went into an intensive process through the ANC’s National Executive Committee to discuss the type of government structure that would best serve our goals. We wanted a structure that would enable us to achieve visible and tangible socio-economic development within the next five years.

It should be a structure which would enable us to effectively implement our policies.

The structure of Cabinet and national departments has therefore been re-organised to achieve better alignment between the structure, our electoral mandate as per our election Manifesto, and the developmental challenges that need to receive immediate attention from government.

In summary, some of the changes in the structure of government are the following:

Following extensive research on international models on how governments in other parts of the world plan and monitor performance, we have decided to establish a National Planning Commission which will be based in the Presidency.

The NPC will be responsible for strategic planning for the country to ensure one National Plan to which all spheres of government would adhere.

This would enable us to take a more comprehensive view of socio-economic development in the country.

We have also created a monitoring and evaluation competency in the Presidency, to monitor and evaluate the performance of government in all three spheres.

There will therefore be two Ministers in the Presidency, one responsible for the NPC and the other for Monitoring and Evaluation as well as administration in the Presidency.

Other changes are the following:

• The Department of Minerals and Energy will be split into two separate departments of Mining and of Energy, each with a Minister.

• The Department of Education will be split into separate Ministries, one for Basic Education and the other for Higher Education and Training.

• The Department of Housing will be called the Department of Human Settlements to take on a more holistic focus.

• There will be a new department of Rural Development and Land Affairs, which are part of our key priorities for the next five years.

• The Department of Water affairs and Forestry becomes the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.

• A new Department of Economic Development has been established to focus on economic policymaking. The implementation functions will remain with the Department of Trade and Industry.

• A new department of Tourism has been created.

• Agriculture becomes Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

• The Department of Provincial and Local Government becomes Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

• A new Ministry has been created for Women, Youth, Children and People with Disability, to emphasise the need for equity and access to development opportunities for the vulnerable groups in our society.

The Cabinet that will fulfill our objectives is composed as follows:

The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa will be Mr Kgalema Petros Motlanthe.

The rest of Cabinet in alphabetical order is as follows:

1. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Peterson

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dr Pieter Mulder

2. Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana

Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile

3. Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga

Deputy Minister of Basic Education Enver Surty

4. Minister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda

Deputy Minister of Communications Dina Pule

5. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka

Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Yunus Carrim

6. Minister of Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Hlengiwe Mkhize

7. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu

Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thabang Makwetla

8. Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde

9. Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters

10. Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan

Deputy Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene

11. Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi

Deputy Minister of Health Dr Molefi Sefularo

12. Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande

13. Minister of Home Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba

14. Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale

Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Zou Kota

15. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (1) Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (2) Sue van der Merwe

16. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe

Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel

17. Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana

18. Minister of Mining Susan Shabangu

19. Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa

Deputy Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula

20. Minister of Public Enterprises Barbara Hogan

Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Enoch Godongwana

21. Minister for the Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi

Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration Roy Padayachie

22. Minister of Public Works Geoff Doidge

Deputy Minister of Public Works Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu

23. Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti

Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Dr Joe Phaahla

24. Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom

25. Minister of Social Development Edna Molewa

Deputy Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini

26. Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile

Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation Gert Oosthuizen

27. Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele

28. Minister in The Presidency (1)

National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel

29. Minister in The Presidency (2)

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency Collins Chabane

30. Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk

Deputy Minister of Tourism Thozile Xasa

31. Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (1) Thandi Tobias

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (2) Maria Ntuli

32. Minister of Transport Sbusiso Joel Ndebele

Deputy Minister of Transport Jeremy Cronin

33. Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica

Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Rejoice Mabhudafhasi

34. Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya

We stated clearly during the campaign that we want an efficient, caring and effective administration, which will be accessible and responsive to the needs of the people.

We reiterate that we will not tolerate laziness and incompetence, and that we will emphasise excellence and achievement from the Cabinet and the public service.

With these objectives in mind, I am confident that the new structure of government will enable the state machinery to speed up service delivery.

Civil servants will not lose their jobs as a result of these changes. This is a matter of principle in terms of the country’s labour relations dispensation.

I however want to stress to our public servants that the era of hard work has begun. Public servants who do their work diligently and efficiently have nothing to worry about.

I wish the new team all the best with their responsibilities.

We request the South African public and all key sectors of our society to support them in their national service.

Let me also take this opportunity to wish all South African mothers well on Mother’s Day today.

Mothers are the backbones of our families, communities and our nation.

We truly appreciate their role in our society, in both the public sphere and within families.