All Ramaphosa’s GNU cabinet ministers and deputies

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his cabinet for South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), which comprises 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers.

In a broadcast address on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa revealed that eleven parties have signed up to the GNU agreement.

These are the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Good Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, Rise Mzansi and the United Africans Transformation.

“All the parties have made a commitment to respect the constitution,” Ramaphosa stated.

Parties also agreed to promote accountable and transparent governance, evidence-based policy and decision-making, and the professionalisation of the public service.

“The incoming government will prioritise rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and the creation of a more just society by tackling poverty and inequality,” the president said.

Ramaphosa said that during his previous administration, he had committed to reducing the size of cabinet. However, this did not happen with the seventh administration.

“Due to the need to ensure that the national executive is inclusive of all the parties to the Government of National Unity, this has not been possible,” he said.

Ramaphosa said that in some instances, they considered it necessary to separate certain portfolios to ensure sufficient focus on key issues.

He said the ministries of Electricity and Energy would be merged while a separate ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources would be established.

Another split was the ministry of Agriculture, which was separated from the ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development.

Ramaphosa also announced that the ministry of Higher Education would be separated from the ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Similarly, the ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development was separated from the ministry of Correctional Services.

“There will no longer be a Ministry of Public Enterprises,” Ramaphosa said.

“The coordination of the relevant public enterprises will be located in the Presidency during the process of implementing a new shareholder model.”

Ramaphosa said that in forming the national executive, they had to consider several factors and advance a number of principles.

“We have had to ensure that the incoming government will be effective, and that it will have people with the experience, skills and capabilities to deliver on its mandate,” he said.

“It is important that we deploy into positions of responsibility people who are committed, capable and hard-working, and who have integrity.”

Ramaphosa said they had to ensure that all the parties could participate meaningfully in the national executive and that the diversity of South Africans’ views was properly reflected.

“We have sought to ensure that the national executive is representative of the people of South Africa, giving due consideration to gender, youth, demographics and regional distribution,” he said.

“We want South Africans to see themselves reflected not only in the composition of government, but also in its policies and programmes.”

Ramaphosa’s cabinet as of 30 June 2024 is summarised in the table below.