South Africa

Zuma names new cabinet

Article published on the 2009-05-10 Latest update 2009-05-10 15:22 TU

Zuma at his inauguration on Saturday
(Photo: Reuters)

South African President Jacob Zuma, who was sworn in on Saturday, has unveiled a vastly changed cabinet, with the closely-watched Finance Ministry changing hands for the first time in 13 years.

Zuma announced Sunday that he has put long-serving Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in charge of a powerful new planning commission. He is replaced by the head of South Africa's tax agency Pravin Gordhan.

Zuma said the strategic planning body would "enable us to take a more comprehensive view of socio-economic development in the country".

Along with members of Zuma's African National Congress (ANC), the new cabinet includes members of white minority parties and the Communist Party (SACP), which backed him in his run for the presidency. The SACP's Blade Nzimande takes responsibility for higher education in a newly-divided Education Ministry and fellow-communist Jeremy Cronin is Deputy Minister of Transport..

The head of one of the smaller white minority parties, Pieter Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus, becomes Deputy Minister of Agriculture, following many white farmers' compaints that past governments have not listened to them.

"Zuma was saying that this is not unusual," reports correspondent Jean-Jacques Cornish. "He described the ANC as very accomodating and said that even his predecessor Thabo Mbeki had done the same, not of his own volition but because the party had desired it."

Kgalema Motlanthe, who held the presidency after his predecessor Thabo Mbeki was forced to resign, will be deputy president.

"It is a very conciliatory type of cabinet but it is not revolutionary in thinking and certainly doesn't indicate any major lurch to the left," comments Cornish.