Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint former justice minister Thembi Simelane as the new minister of human settlements has attracted criticism, particularly regarding allegations of corruption that have plagued Simelane since her tenure.
In a surprise move on Tuesday night, Ramaphosa reshuffled his Government of National Unity (GNU) cabinet making four changes to the executive.
Alongside Simelane’s new appointment, the reshuffle included the introduction of Phumzile Mgcina as Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala as deputy minister of employment and labour, both of whom have previously served in other capacities within the national executive.
Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi will succeed Simelane as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.
The decision to redeploy Simelane, accused of allegedly receiving a loan of R575600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company directly linked to the unlawful investments of municipal funds into the now-defunct VBS bank – has left many in the political and advocacy landscape questioning the integrity of Ramaphosa’s leadership.
The loan was received during Simelane’s tenure as the mayor of Polokwane.
She has denied any wrong doing and recently told Parliament she did not receive any funds from the bank.
DA MP, Glynnis Breytenbach, said the decision to redeploy Simelane did not address the fact that she is accused of a crime.
“Simelane does not belong in the Cabinet, end of story… Human Settlements is a vital department for providing housing to South Africans. It must be led by a credible individual.
“The indecisiveness of the president, who has explicitly committed to fighting corruption is especially shocking and quite blatantly insincere,” Breytenbach said.
ActionSA MP Athol Trollip said Ramaphosa’s “cowardly” Cabinet reshuffle confirmed that Simelane’s role as justice minister was untenable.
“Unsurprisingly, President Ramaphosa has once again shown South Africans that he lacks both the appetite and fortitude to break the entrenched culture of unaccountability that continues to plague our country.
“This cowardly move by the president also highlights the fact that his own Phala Phala demons continue to hamstring his actions when it comes to dealing with corruption in his cabinet,” Trollip said.
Social housing advocacy organisation, Ndifuna Ukwazi, said they were disappointed by Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle.
They said it disrupts ongoing efforts to address South Africa’s housing crisis and undermines trust in government leadership.
“Minister Simelane faces unresolved corruption allegations. Her appointment to a struggling department appears solely politically motivated, raising serious concerns about the government’s priorities.
“South Africa’s housing challenges are severe. Housing delivery has slowed to a standstill, informal settlements are expanding, and land reform remains stalled.
“Deploying a politician who is facing serious allegations of corruption to lead the Department of Human Settlements signals the state’s lack of commitment to prioritising housing and is an insult to the millions of South Africans struggling to access decent homes,” they said.
In a further response to the reshuffle, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the President’s office, outlined that the Cabinet changes were intended “to ensure the effectiveness of Cabinet in delivering to its mandate”, referencing section 91(2) of the Constitution.