Ramaphosa Names New Deputy, Electricity Minister

Screen grab of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's televised address announcing the establishment of two new government ministries as part of his cabinet reshuffle on March 6, 2023.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Monday named a new minister to tackle a debilitating electricity crisis and a new deputy in a mini-cabinet shake-up a year ahead of the next general election.

Ramaphosa appointed 48-year-old engineer and former mayor of the capital Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, to be the new electricity minister, a position Ramaphosa described as "transitory."

Ramaphosa last month declared a state of emergency to help tackle severe energy shortages.

"The primary task of the new minister will be to significantly reduce the severity and frequency of load shedding (electricity outages) as a matter of urgency," said Ramaphosa in a televised address.

Ramaphosa also appointed Paul Mashatile, 61, as his deputy president to replace David Mabuza, who resigned last month after serving just one five-year term during which he was largely absent.

Mashatile was treasurer and secretary general of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) before he was elected party deputy president in December.

Ramaphosa said he would set up two new ministries to ensure progress.

"We are establishing two new ministries. The first of these is the minister for electricity to deal with the immediate crisis of load shedding. The second is the minister with specific responsibilities for planning, monitoring and evaluation, to focus greater attention on the performance of government," he said.

SEE ALSO: South Africa Cabinet Shuffle to Tackle Energy, Government Performance

This is the president's first executive revamp since last year when the country started experiencing record power cuts that have hampered economic growth and exasperated South Africans.

Years of scheduled blackouts have plunged Africa's most industrialized economy into darkness as the state-owned energy firm Eskom — saddled with constantly breaking down generating plants — fails to meet demand.

The power cuts have reached new extremes, with the country experiencing a record 207 days of power outages last year alone, compared to 75 days in 2021.

Outages cost hundreds of millions of dollars in lost output each day.

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the daughter of revered anti-apartheid activists Walter and Albertina Sisulu, who has openly opposed Ramaphosa in recent months, was dropped from the executive. Her portfolio, was handed to a leader of the small opposition party GOOD, Patricia de Lille.

Surprisingly, Ramaphosa retained Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who in December defied ANC party orders and voted with the opposition in favor of a motion that would have initiated proceedings to remove the president from office over a farm cash theft scandal.