New ministers win praise across board
'A very good combination of experience and change'
May 11, 2009
By Donwald Pressly
Business, economists and trade unions were united yesterday in their praise of President Jacob Zuma's new cabinet, which balanced business friendly ministers with new faces in government who will focus on the needs of the workers and the poor.
Brait economist Colen Garrow was effusive in his praise for the retention of Trevor Manuel's skills in his new role as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the national planning commission, as well as Barbara Hogan's move from health to public enterprises.
"Hogan is very switched on over economic and financial affairs. This is a good move," said Garrow, who expected the rating agencies to view the cabinet changes positively.
Similarly, Western Cape Cosatu general secretary Tony Ehrenreich said bringing trade unionist Ebrahim Patel in as Minister of Economic Development allowed him "to confront the old business ideologues".
New Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was praised across the economic spectrum. Ehrenreich said Gordhan had done "fantastically well" turning Sars around. "This is a welcome advancement for him. I also welcome Trevor (Manuel's) experience in cabinet."
While Nedbank Group chief economist Dennis Dykes welcomed Manuel's appointment, saying he believed he would turn it into an effective body, he warned that there was a danger of departments appearing to have similar functions, such as Patel's new ministry.
Pan African Advisory Services chief executive Iraj Abedian, who sits on the boards of several state entities, broadly welcomed the appointments, including removing Mandisi Mpahlwa from the ministry of trade and industry.
He echoed Dykes' concern about "splintering the economic cluster" into "so many pieces", emphasising possible conflicts between Patel's ministry and that of trade and industry under Rob Davies. He presumed there would be an umbrella planning commission over the two.
He predicted there could also be a contest for territory between labour - which remains under Membathisi Mdladlana - and higher education and training under SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande.
The new Mining Minister is Susan Shabangu, but former Northern Cape premier Dipuo Peters is in charge of energy, breaking up the previous ministry for both sectors.
Vilakazi believed that in investors' minds, Gordhan's appointment "is a welcome one".
Likewise the elevation of Davies to a full minister was good news, said Vilakazi.
Another key economic cluster appointment is Collins Chabane, the Minister in the Presidency for performance monitoring, evaluation and administration. As Limpopo's economic development MEC he played a key role in drawing up changes to government structures, including creating the planning commission.
Trevor Manuel
Cape Town-born Trevor Manuel moves from finance to the national planning commission in the presidency. He was finance minister from 1996 and previously served as trade and industry minister.
He was detained and banned between 1985 and 1990 as a result of his anti-apartheid activities in the United Democratic Front.
Viewed as a fiscal hawk, he reported the first budget surplus in 2007 and has often been the butt of opposition from Cosatu and the SACP, the ANC's alliance partners.
He resigned last September when former president Thabo Mbeki resigned - unsettling the markets a trifle - but later said he was willing to serve under the next president.
Pravin Gordhan
Durban-born Pravin Gordhan replaces Trevor Manuel as finance minister. Gordhan has served four terms as Council of World Customs chairman.
He chaired the constitutional portfolio committee of the national assembly as an ANC MP during the first years of democracy, under former president Nelson Mandela.
He has been commissioner of the SA Revenue Service from 1999, serving for a spell as deputy commissioner.
He developed a reputation for raising state revenues beyond targets year after year, and cracking down on tax dodgers.
Before democracy, he was co-chairman of the Transitional Executive Council from 1993 to 1994.
Barbara Hogan
For reversing the Aids denialist position of her predecessor, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Barbara Hogan's appointment as health minister last year was widely welcomed.
Now she moves from health to public enterprises.
Detained in 1982 for furthering the aims of a banned organisation - the ANC, which she had joined in 1976 - Hogan was released in 1990.
She became an MP in 1994 and went on to chair the parliamentary finance portfolio committee.
She became the minister of health when former president Thabo Mbeki resigned last September.
Ebrahm Patel
Although not on the ANC parliamentary list, Ebrahim Patel has been appointed economic development minister, a new post established to "focus on economic policy making" according to President Jacob Zuma .
As a former general secretary of the SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union, Patel played a key role in limiting Chinese competition in textiles with South African industries. A former Robben Island prisoner, he has been a financial and fiscal commissioner and has served on the council for higher education.
He has been chief negotiator for a range of trade union bargaining rounds, including the national textile bargaining council.
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