President Ramaphosa has seized control of South Africa’s spy agency in a cabinet reshuffle after the worst unrest in the country’s democratic history.
Under pressure to restore public confidence after deaths and property destruction in riots last month, Ramaphosa announced the abolition of the security ministry and gave “political responsibility” for intelligence oversight to the presidency.
In a televised address Ramaphosa said the security services were “found wanting in several respects” in the orchestrated rioting that erupted after Jacob Zuma, his predecessor, was jailed for contempt of court. About 330 people were killed and thousands of businesses were looted and destroyed over several days.
News that Zuma, 79, had left jail for hospital on Friday morning raised fresh concern about his fate and how his supporters might respond. “A routine observation prompted that Mr Zuma be taken for in-hospitalisation,” his spokesman said.
Ramaphosa had denounced the chaos as an “orchestrated campaign of public violence, destruction and sabotage”. It is widely seen as a spillover from the power battle between factions of the ruling African National Congress.
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The president also replaced his defence minister and has appointed an expert panel to investigate why police and intelligence services failed to act on repeated warnings of trouble. Zizi Kodwa, a Ramaphosa ally, was named deputy minister in the presidency responsible for state security.
Other announcements included replacements for the respected finance minister, Tito Mboweni, who had wanted to step down, and a new health minister as Zweli Mkhize was placed on special leave while he was investigated over a corruption scandal involving a £7 million coronavirus communications contract.
The Daily Maverick news site reported that some of the funds were used to fund a hair salon and a nail bar opened by members of Mkhize’s family. He has denied wrongdoing and was replaced by his deputy, Joe Phaahla.
When it emerged that Mboweni was being replaced as finance minister by Enoch Godongwana, the rand lost value against the dollar before recouping some of the losses.
Mboweni was appointed in October 2018 to fill a vacancy left by Nhlanhla Nene’s sudden departure, since when the former governor of the South African Reserve Bank had made clear that he was reluctantly occupying the position. Days ago he posted a picture of a goat perched on the edge of a cliff to reflect the demands of his job with insufficient resources.
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Godongwana, the African National Congress’s economic policy guru, left government in a swirl of controversy in January 2012. He quit as deputy minister of economic development as public unhappiness grew over his involvement in a company that allegedly defrauded clothing factory workers of £10 million in pensions.
