PRETORIA – President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the resignation of often aloof Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni and the appointment of Enoch Godongwana to replace him on Thursday night, as he reshuffled his Cabinet for the first time in over two years.
Mboweni is known for his public clashes with public sector workers’ unions over civil servant wage hikes and preferring austerity measures to curb the widening public debt.
He has also butted heads with Cabinet colleagues like Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan over the continuous funding of dysfunctional state-owned enterprises, at one point saying financing SAA was like “pouring money into the black hole”.
“I have accepted a long-standing request by Minister Tito Mboweni to be excused from his position as Minister of Finance,” Ramaphosa said.
“Minister Mboweni took up this position following the sudden departure of former minister Nhlanhla Nene in October 2018.
“Since then, he has effectively and ably steered National Treasury through extremely difficult economic times, providing stability and instilling confidence,” he said.
“I am grateful to Minister Mboweni for responding to the call to serve our nation at its time of need.”
The newly installed Godongwana was a former deputy minister of public enterprises and of economic development.
This issue was HUGE. Even his Comrades were outraged! Involvement in company that defrauded clothing factory workers of R100-million of pension money? And Mac Maharaj telling us Godongwana was resigning to “pursue personal interests?” And the lies at Inquiry? You MUST remember!
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) August 5, 2021
Enoch Godongwana is an enormously influential figure in the ANC and the government’s economic policy and decision-making. He is the head of the ANC’s economic transformation committee, a position he has occupied for a decade.
As the ANC expects its ministers who serve in government to first have all major policies approved by the party, Godongwana is very often the hidden hand in the background, who most often attempts to persuade his colleagues to make pragmatic and market-friendly decisions. He is a close confidante of President Cyril Ramaphosa and also has open channels with several top business leaders.
Godongwana had previously served as deputy minister of public enterprises and later as deputy minister of economic development under former president Jacob Zuma.
Godongwana resigned from the government in 2012 after a controversy over his involvement in a company that had allegedly defrauded millions of rand of workers’ pension funds. He holds a master’s degree in financial economy from the University of London.
Ramaphosa also announced the resignation of the embattled Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, who has been replaced by his deputy Dr Joe Phaahla.
He said he was making the changes to the Executive to accelerate the government’s vaccination programme to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, and to ensure peace and stability in the wake of the recent outbreak of violence and destruction in parts of the country.
Godogwana was implicated looting of millions of textile industry pensions in the Eastern Cape and submarined to academics where repackaged himself into an economic expert. He now emerges as an entire Minister of Finance. Alive with possibilities indeed!
— 48 Laws (@Khakhy) August 5, 2021
The lack of inclusion of young people in the National Executive is serious cause for concern….there’s literally no one below the age 35 in the National Executive!
— Nonceba Mhlauli (@NoncebaMhlauli) August 5, 2021
I love how Lindiwe Sisulu makes every President feel that they owe her parents, and the best way to repay them is to grant her bluelights.
She is a product of an ancestral agreement.
— African Renaissance (@MadiBoity) August 5, 2021
#cabinetreshuffle Some of these appointments are not made in the national interest but along patronage and factionalism
— Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) August 5, 2021
Hopeless police minister Bheki Cele who messed up big time stays in his job
— Barney Mthombothi (@mthombothi) August 5, 2021
Lindiwe Sisulu to Ministry of Tourism is the biggest demotion of this cabinet reshuffle.
— SollyMalatsi (@SollyMalatsi) August 5, 2021
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