President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to remove Thembi Simelane as Minister of Justice and redeploy her as Minister of Human Settlements has sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties, who accuse him of failing to address allegations of corruption linked to Simelane. The Cabinet reshuffle, announced on Tuesday evening, has been described as “short-sighted” and a continuation of the ANC’s “culture of unaccountability.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) expressed outrage over the decision, pointing to allegations against Simelane stemming from her time as mayor of Polokwane. Reports allege that Simelane received R575,600 from VBS-linked broker Gundo Wealth Solutions to purchase a Sandton coffee shop. Gundo Wealth Solutions was owned by Ralliom Razwinane, who is currently on trial for fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.
DA spokesperson on justice and constitutional development, Glynnis Breytenbach, criticized the redeployment, arguing that simply moving Simelane to another ministry does not address the core issue of corruption allegations. “While Ramaphosa has finally removed the untenable conflict of interest of having a Minister of Justice accused of corruption, his decision to move her elsewhere doesn’t resolve the underlying problem,” Breytenbach said.
The DA revealed it had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to access Simelane’s report on her alleged involvement in the VBS looting scandal. The party accused Ramaphosa of failing to act decisively, noting that he received Simelane’s report in September but took no substantial action until the reshuffle.
ActionSA also slammed the decision, with parliamentary leader Athol Trollip calling it “cowardly” and indicative of Ramaphosa’s inability to tackle corruption within his Cabinet. “If Thembi Simelane was deemed unfit to serve as Minister of Justice due to allegations of corruption and questionable sources of wealth, how can the President now claim she is fit to oversee the critical Human Settlements portfolio, managing billions of rands?” Trollip questioned.
Trollip further accused Ramaphosa of being constrained by his own unresolved Phala Phala scandal, which continues to undermine his credibility in dealing with corruption.
Cabinet Reshuffle Highlights
Announcing the changes, Ramaphosa stated that the reshuffle was aimed at improving Cabinet effectiveness and aligned with section 91(2) of the Constitution. Key changes include:
- Mmamoloko Kubayi: Appointed as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, previously Minister of Human Settlements.
- Thembi Simelane: Redeployed as Minister of Human Settlements.
- Phumzile Mgcina: Appointed Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, previously Deputy Minister of Labour and Employment.
- Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala: Appointed Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, previously Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.
The reshuffle has done little to assuage public concerns about corruption and accountability. Opposition parties have urged Ramaphosa to take stronger action against officials implicated in scandals, rather than reshuffling them to new portfolios. As the criticism grows, questions remain about whether these changes will truly strengthen the government’s ability to deliver on its mandate.