Ramaphosa says he ‘would like’ fewer deputy ministers, but political realities dictate otherwise

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signalled willingness to consider ActionSA’s proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill, which aims to scrap all 43 deputy minister positions, a move that, if passed by Parliament, could save the country hundreds of millions of rands in taxpayers’ money.

South Africa’s executive is among the largest in the world. Eliminating deputy ministers could drastically reduce the state’s annual spending, with each deputy earning R2.2-million and overseeing a team nearly as large as that of ministers, who typically manage about 10 staff members.

Salaries, benefits and operational costs continue to pile up, even as the country faces mounting fiscal pressures.

The debate over a bloated Cabinet, which includes ministers, and the executive, which also includes deputies, has lingered since 2018, when Ramaphosa first took office and promised a more efficient, streamlined government.

That promise has largely fallen flat. Seven years later, the executive is even larger. Ramaphosa now cites political realities as the reason.

A wish ignored

During a parliamentary Q&A session on Tuesday, 9 September, Ramaphosa responded to a question from ActionSA MP Athol Trollip by acknowledging the long-standing concerns about the size of his executive.

“You may recall that right at the beginning, right at the beginning, when we constituted this government, we did address this issue and said that my own wish was that we should have a much smaller executive. That has always been my declared wish,” said Ramaphosa.

Despite his intention, the President expanded his executive after the 2024 elections instead of reducing it, choosing to accommodate political allies within the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“However, the need to have a GNU which is properly representative meant that we needed to have the type of architecture that we have now. It is an architecture which I believe works.”

Of the 43 deputy ministers, 33 belong to the ANC, with six from the DA, two from the IFP, and one each from the UDM and Al Jamah-ah.

Read more: The GNU Cabinet is big and bloated — but will it be better?

Ramaphosa’s comments expose the trade-off at the heart of his administration, having abandoned the promise of a leaner, more cost-effective government to keep the 10-party GNU coalition intact.

A 'meaningful contribution'

Trollip asked him directly whether he would support ActionSA’s Bill to eliminate the deputy minister positions.

Ramaphosa dodged the question: “I would really like to look at that Bill. I think, please, have the Bill forwarded so that we can look at it. I’m not able to respond in any way whatsoever until I see the contents of the Bill.”

He acknowledged the political undertones of the proposal.

“Much as I said, it sounds like a threat, it isn’t a threat. No, I want to actually compliment you and say I don’t see it as a threat. I see it as a very meaningful contribution, because you are concerned, as I am, with the size of our executive, and the size of the executive we now have is a result of the outcome of our elections.

“We had to put together a Government of National Unity with 10 political parties that sat down and negotiated the structure of the government we have now. Whether we like it or not, it is what we have,” said Ramaphosa.

Despite his stated preference for a smaller executive, Ramaphosa ended by defending the role of deputy ministers, which he initially said he was concerned about.

The Presidency is one of the largest ministerial offices, with Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni backed by two deputies, Nonceba Mhlauli and Kenneth Morolong, both from the ANC.

“I would want a much smaller executive. I would also like fewer deputy ministers. But right now, we do have deputy ministers who are really putting their shoulder to the wheel, who are going even beyond what I would call the call of duty,” said Ramaphosa.

As ActionSA moves to table the Bill, all eyes will be on the ANC and its GNU partners. Their response will not only decide the fate of the Amendment Bill but also test whether there is any genuine will to pursue the structural reforms Ramaphosa once called for but has since set aside for political expediency.

ActionSA’s Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill aims to:

• Abolish the role of deputy ministers, removing all 43 positions, which the party deems redundant;
• Mandate parliamentary vetting of all Cabinet appointments, first through a dedicated committee and then by a vote in the National Assembly;
• Empower the National Assembly to remove individual ministers through motions of no confidence; and

Expand the number of ministers who may be appointed from outside Parliament from two to four, opening the door for qualified professionals and experts to bring fresh expertise into government. DM