President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to do a lot more than bring in new people and positions to win over the public and opposition. 

This seems to be the message of many opposition parties who have since spoken out since Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle last night.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) was among the first, with its leader, John Steenhuisen expressing that “South Africa has very little to look forward to under this reshuffled cabinet.”

Steenhuisen has criticised the increase in cabinet positions, expressing that it contradicts Ramaphosa’s 2019 commitment to reduce Ministries, adding that this will cost taxpayers.

“President Ramaphosa has merely moved around a batch of broken eggs in the same basket.”- DA Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen

Apart from the dissatisfaction with the new appointments and creation of new portfolios, opposition parties have criticised the safeguarding of the ‘rotten apples’ notably, Bheki Cele, Pravin Gordhan, and Gwede Mantashe.

According to Build One South Africa (BOSA), leader Mmusi Maimane, those who failed the citizens, the most were rewarded by being able to keep their cabinet position. 

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) described Ramaphosa’s announcement as “nothing but an exercise to ensuring that those who formed part of his factional warfare in the lead-up to his re-election as the ANC President are rewarded through patronage”, adding that Ramaphosa made some of these appointments to settle his political debts.

The newly appointed Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho “Sputla” Ramokgopa was not received well either, with the DA had brought the new Minister’s past to light.

Ramokgopa is known for having served as the Mayor of Tshwane which the DA has since criticised for irregular expenditure from the smart meter contract. 

According to DA leader, John Steenhuisen, “If Cyril Ramaphosa thinks that Ramokgopa will solve the electricity crisis, then permanent blackouts are inevitable.”

With the common tone of dissatisfaction among opposition parties, the EFF used this as an opportunity to call on Ramaphosa to resign and for the public to join them in their National Shutdown later this month.