PRETORIA, (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma sacked seven ministers yesterday in a major cabinet reshuffle aimed at strenghtening the government and seen as making some concessions to the left.
Zuma told a news conference that the reshuffle — the biggest change in the government since he became president in May 2009 — was aimed at boosting government ministries, and improving basic services and the lives of the poor.
“Given the fact that we still face serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the country, government has to work at a faster pace to change the lives of the poor,” Zuma said.
The government’s leftist allies in labour federation COSATU and the South African Communist Party have piled pressure on Zuma to create more jobs and lift economic growth in Africa’s biggest economy.
Tensions between the ruling ANC and COSATU have soured over a public sector strike which was settled in October with a 7.5 percent wage increase — double that of the rate of inflation.
The government said last week it aimed to create 5 million jobs over the next decade.
The change was one of the most radical overhauls of the South African cabinet in several years and some of the changes could be due to Zuma making a concession to his leftist labour and communist allies, said Nel Marais, analyst at Executive Research Associates.
He cited the replacement of Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan — responsible for state entities like power utility Eskom and rail and logistics group Transnet — who has been criticised by labour federation COSATU.
