Pretoria – The controversial appointment of Thembi Nkadimeng (nee Simelani), as Justice Minister has come to an abrupt end with the announcement on Tuesday evening by President Cyril Ramaphosa that he has reshuffled his GNU Cabinet.
Nkadimeng has been the subject of accusations of possibly benefiting from kickbacks linked to the now-defunct VBS mutual bank, which is the subject of an ongoing probe.
Announcing the Cabinet reshuffle, President Ramaphosa said to ensure the effectiveness of Cabinet in delivering its mandate and in accordance with section 91(2) of the Constitution, he has made the following changes to the national executive:
- Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi, currently the Minister of Human Settlements is appointed the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.
- Thembi Nkadimeng, currently the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development is appointed the Minister of Human Settlements
- Furthermore, in accordance with the section 93(1) (a) of the Constitution,
- Phumzile Mgcina, is appointed the Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Mgcina has been serving in the national executive as the Deputy Minister of Labour and Employment.
- Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala is appointed the Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour. Nemadzinga-Tshabalala has been serving in the national executive as the Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.
“The changes to the national executive are effective immediately,” President Ramaphosa said.
“I would like to wish these members of the national executive well in their new positions.”
Minister Nkadimeng denies any wrongdoing regarding the VBS saga.
She, however, admits that she took a loan of more than half a million rand from a company that brokered unlawful investments of R349 million into VBS Mutual Bank by the Polokwane Municipality while she was mayor of the city in 2016.
Nkadimeng says she has since repaid the loan in full.
The Cabinet reshuffle has been criticised by political parties that have been pressing for Nkadimeng’s removal as minister.
Commenting on the Cabinet Reshuffle, MP Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development, said: “The President’s decision to remove Thembi Simelane [Nkadimeng] as Minister of Justice and redeploy her to Minister of Human Settlements is short-sighted and disrespectful to South Africa”.
Advocate Breytenbach added: “Simelane does not belong in Cabinet, end of story.
“On the 26th of August 2024, the scandal broke that the Minister of Justice, Thembi Simelane, received a ‘loan’ of R575 600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company directly linked to the unlawful investments of municipal funds into the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.”
This loan was received during her tenure as the Mayor of Polokwane.
“Just today further allegations broke about her lavish lifestyle, which, according to reports were well beyond her means,” said Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.
“While the President has finally addressed the untenable conflict of interest of having a Minister of Justice accused of corruption, his decision to simply move her somewhere else does not address the underlying issue, she stands accused of corruption and is subject to investigations.
“Human Settlements is a vital department for providing housing to South Africans. It must be led by a credible individual.
“The indecisiveness of the President, who has explicitly committed to fighting corruption is especially shocking and quite blatantly insincere.
“Mister President, our country deserves better. Remove Simelane from your Cabinet in the interest of our Republic.”
Athol Trollip, ActionSA Parliamentary Leader, said: “ActionSA rejects President Ramaphosa’s last-ditch cowardly Cabinet reshuffle, appointing the disgraced Minister Thembi Simelane as Minister of Human Settlements amid increasing pressure over mounting allegations of corruption that have rendered her continued leadership of the justice department wholly untenable”.
Trollip added: “On 26 August, ActionSA first wrote to the President, urging him to uphold the integrity of South Africa’s justice system by suspending Minister Simelane.
“Typically, 100 days later, his inaction has now instead morphed into a reshuffle, entirely defeating the concept of accountability, which demands that no individual facing allegations as severe as those against Simelane be allowed to continue serving in Cabinet.”
Simply put, if the minister was deemed no longer fit to serve as Minister of Justice due to allegations of potential corruption and questionable sources of wealth beyond her declared earnings, then surely the President cannot now expect us to believe that she is perfectly suited to lead a critically important portfolio like Human Settlements, overseeing billions of rand, Trollip said.
“Unsurprisingly, President Ramaphosa has once again shown South Africans that he lacks both the appetite and fortitude to break the entrenched culture of unaccountability that continues to plague our country,” Trollip said.
“This cowardly move by the President also highlights the fact that his own Phala Phala demons continue to hamstring his actions when it comes to dealing with corruption in his Cabinet.”
Trollip said under no circumstances would ActionSA just accept the President’s attempt to shield the minister from facing true accountability.
“As such we will continue pursuing every available avenue, including legal action, to ensure that this injustice is confronted,” said Trollip.
“ActionSA will not stand by while Rome is burning and the President is fiddling, engaging in hollow gimmicks that undermine the very principles of justice and governance.”
