Six Indians in Zuma cabinet, Gordhan gets Finance

M Subramoney

Pretoria, May 10 (PTI) Six Indian-origin politicians were
Sunday named in the cabinet announced by new South African
President Jacob Zuma, who gave the key Finance Ministry to
anti-apartheid activist Pravin Gordhan and made sweeping
changes in the portfolios.

The inclusion of six Indians in the ministry demonstrates
that Zuma has tried to give more representation to the
community as his predecessor Thabo Mbeki had only two
Indian-origin leaders in his cabinet.

Unveiling the cabinet here, 67-year-old Zuma, who was
sworn in yesterday, announced the formation of a new powerful
National Planning Commission which will be headed by Trevor
Manuel, who had been the finance minister for 13 years and is
widely respected for his sound fiscal policies.

Gordhan, a former anti-apartheid activist of
Indian-origin and the current Commissioner of Revenue who is
credited with turning the department into one of the most
efficient and effective organs of the state, has been
appointed as new Minister of Finance.

The other Indians in the over 40-member cabinet are
Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Roy Padaychee, Deputy Minister of Public Service and
Administration, Enver Surty, Deputy Minister of Basic
Education, Yunus Carrim, Deputy Minister of Local Government
and Traditional Affairs and Ebrahim Patel, Minister of
Economic Development.

The cabinet appointments were being closely watched for
hints on the new President's economic policy.

"We wanted a structure that would enable us to achieve
visible and tangible socio-economic development within the
next five years," Zuma, whose vastly restructured cabinet
includes a number of minority party members and leftist
allies, told reporters.

The President has named relatively unknown Mayeta
Mashabane as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs while
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has been shifted from foreign to home.

Zuma's immediate predecessor Kgalema Motlanthe will be
the Deputy President.

Blade Nzimande, head of the South African Communist
Party, was named minister of higher education and training
while the key health ministry will get a new head in Aaron
Motsoaledi. Barbara Hogan, in the health job for six months,
was moved to the public enterprises.

Zuma said that he expected all his colleagues to work
with passion and dedication. He also warned civil servants
that "the era of hard work has begun".

"Civil servants will be allowed to keep their jobs but if
they don't pull up their socks then they will be dealt with,"
he said.

Despite speculation in this regard, Winnie
Madikizela-Mandela, the popular former wife of the country's
first black president Nelson Mandela, did not get a cabinet
post. PTI