Why was there no Cabinet reshuf le ‐ DA

J OHANNESBURG P r e s i d e n t Cyril Ramaphosa’s address t o t he n a t i o n o n S u n d a y n i g h t was n o t received without criticism.

The DA’s John Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa should have reassured the nation by announcing a cabinet clean- up.

“Confidence in SA is at an alltime l ow and only a wholesale cabinet clean- up i s going t o get people t o believe in this country again.

“For starters, SA needs a fulltime health minister t o manage a f ul l - time pandemic response. It beggars belief that Zweli Mkhize is still on fully- paid leave more than six weeks af t er hi s s uspension. Ramaphosa s houl d have r e l e a s e d t he Digi t a l Vibes report by now, and we call on him to do this.”

S t e e n h u i s e n s a i d R a m a p h o s a should also have announced “competent replacements for Police Minister Bheki Cele and State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, bot h of whom have completely failed SA”.

“Energy minister Gwede Mantashe must be replaced with someone who understands t he urgency t o bri ng down the cost and increase the supply of electricity by opening SA’s energy market. Structural reform has never been more urgent. Any minister standing in the way of progress must be summarily replaced,” he said.

The p a r t y wel c o med t h e s o c i a l relief grants.

“Th e y a r e d e s p e r a t e l y n e e d e d . However, these relief measures are n o t g o i n g t o b e s u s t a i n a b l e o v e r t he l onger t erm without swift and decisive structural reform. The best and most sustainable way to help the poor and vulnerable is to create jobs.”

The DA also welcomed the relaxation of some restrictions, but said Ramaphosa should have gone further and removed all restrictions that were costing jobs.

“Specifically, the curfew and the ban on al cohol s al es s hould have been fully lifted. The curfew is doing irreparable damage to restaurants, small towns and tourism. There is so much illicit alcohol available that i t f r ankly makes no diff erence t o transmission, but a big difference to tax receipts and jobs. Enough with irrational, arbitrary regulations such as forcing restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 8pm but food at 9pm. Has anyone i n government ever r un a business?”

The IFP said it remained concerned that the president, together with the executive, had forgotten parliament is a sphere of the state.