Key facts
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced cabinet changes.
- John Steenhuisen, former DA leader, was moved from agriculture minister to deputy trade minister.
- Willie Aucamp was appointed as the new agriculture minister.
- Dina Pule was named minister of social development.
- The changes followed a request from new DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has implemented cabinet changes, notably demoting John Steenhuisen, the former leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), from his position as agriculture minister to deputy trade minister. This move aligns with a request made by the DA's new leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, who assumed leadership in April and sought adjustments to his party's representation in the cabinet.
The DA, the second-largest party in South Africa's governing coalition, had its predecessor leader, Steenhuisen, reassigned from the agriculture portfolio due to a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Willie Aucamp, previously the forestry, fisheries, and environment minister, has been appointed as the new agriculture minister as per Hill-Lewis's request.
Additionally, Ramaphosa appointed Dina Pule from the African National Congress (ANC) as the minister of social development. This position became vacant in May after Sisisi Tolashe was removed due to misconduct allegations. Pule, a senior figure in the ANC Women's League, had not held a cabinet position since 2013, when she faced scrutiny over alleged preferential treatment to a company linked to her boyfriend, though she denied wrongdoing.