Cabinet Report Card 2012: President Zuma is failing South Africa
Lindiwe Mazibuko, Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance
6 December 2012
2012
will be remembered both as a tragic year for South Africa and a turning
point in our democracy. From the tragedy at Marikana, to the textbook
crises in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape; from ‘Nkandlagate’ to R5 billion
in spending on entertainment by government departments; 2012 revealed
with more clarity than ever before the extent to which we have a
leaderless government which is not delivering.
As the official opposition in Parliament the Democratic Alliance (DA)
has a mandate to hold the executive to account and to provide oversight
over its performance. The 2012 Cabinet Report Card aims to do just this,
by providing an overview of how the President, Deputy President and the
34 Cabinet Ministers have fared during 2012.
In doing so, our report card seeks to give effect to Section 92(2) of
the Constitution which provides that “Members of Cabinet are accountable
collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their
powers and the performance of their functions.”
The DA’s 2012 Cabinet Report Card allocates scores to each Minister, the
President and the Deputy President based on qualitative broad criteria
including:
• Policy Direction: Does the Minister have a clearly articulated
vision for his/ her department and has he/ she been effective in
implementing this vision?
• Attitude towards Accountability & Attendance in Parliament:
What is the Minister’s conduct in office, particularly regarding his/
her approach to accountability and his/ her attitude to parliament?
• Finance and Administration: Does the Minister keep a tight hand on
the purse strings of his/ her department and how has the Department or
office performed under his/ her watch?
Each Member of Cabinet, on the basis of this analysis, was given a score between an A and an F.
In an effort to make this Report Card more constructive and to indicate
where we believe that Members of the Executive can and must improve
delivery, the report card also includes a section on “Challenges for
2013”.
This assessment is not only about what went wrong, but also about what the executive can do to get it right.
Leading the worst performers in Cabinet this year, President Zuma failed
comprehensively to provide effective leadership in government, failing
to solve crises that were often preventable and regularly being a direct
cause of the challenges faced by his government. These include:
• The lacklustre response by the government to the tensions leading
up to and following the Marikana Tragedy, and his subsequent reaction to
on-going labour unrest across the country;
• The ruling by the Constitutional Court that Mr Zuma’s appointment
of Menzi Simelane as National Director of Public Prosecutions was
“irrational” and “invalid”;
• The failure of the National Prosecuting Authority to comply with a
decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal to hand over the ‘Spy Tapes’ to
the DA, and the President’s failure to intervene in this constitutional
crisis;
• The ‘Nkandlagate’ scandal, which continues to worsen by the day,
and has already cost the public more than a quarter of a billion rand.
There is growing evidence to suggest that the President was aware of the
costs, and has misled Parliament in trying to argue his lack of
involvement;
• The lack of economic policy direction and the continued existence
of two competing economic plans in government, neither of which has any
hope of being implemented. The downgrading of South Africa’s credit
rating by Standard & Poor and Moody’s was an indictment of Mr Zuma’s
handling of the economy. The President continues to kow-tow to COSATU
and the SACP at the expense of delivering on policy promises.
These failures resulted in President Zuma scoring an ‘F’.
They were also the motivation for the decision by the DA, together with
seven opposition parties, to table a motion of no confidence in the
President last month. His performance in 2012 is clear evidence that Mr
Zuma should no longer be entrusted with the highest office in the land.
This stands in contrast to Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, whom we
have scored a ‘C’. While he was not the top performer in Cabinet this
past year, Mr Motlanthe displayed noteworthy qualities which President
Zuma clearly lacks: a dedication to the Constitution; an honest approach
to the serious challenges facing the government and a willingness to
engage openly with Parliament and with South Africans.
Unlike President Zuma’s “head-in-the-sand” attitude towards the failures
of the government under the ANC, Mr Motlanthe has acknowledged the
right of South Africans to “…judge the ANC for what it is and not what
it was." While he must get off the political fence by more openly
declaring his policy preferences, and while he could do more to crack
the whip as Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly, 2012
has shown clearly that Mr Motlanthe would make a better Head of State
for South Africa than his principal.
Some of the other worst performers who received an ‘F’ are Minister of
Labour, Mildred Olifant, who was missing in action during a number of
South Africa’s biggest labour disputes since the end of Apartheid;
Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, who has presided over the
militarisation of an increasingly violent police force; Minister of
State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, who has continued to drive his
unconstitutional ‘secrecy bill’ agenda and violate the separation of
powers by dictating to MPs how they should legislate; and Minister in
the Presidency, Collins Chabane, who has done virtually no monitoring
and evaluation of the government, and has failed to contribute at all to
any improved performance in cabinet.
It is worth acknowledging separately the disastrous and embarrassing
tenure of Tina Joemat-Peterson as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, who also received an ‘F’. Her handling of almost every single
matter before her has been so incompetent and negligent that there is
no longer any doubt that she should be removed from cabinet without any
further delay.
These unfortunate performances compare poorly with those of the handful
of top-achievers in the government. The Minister of Health, Aaron
Motsoaledi, and the current Minister of Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor,
rated for previous position as Minister of Science and Technology, stand
out in this regard, both receiving an ‘A’ for their hard work in
improving delivery on their mandates. Ms Pandor will need to build on
the successes of former Minister of Home Affairs, Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma, in her new ministry so that the progress at the department
is continued.
They are joined by the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, the Minister
of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies and the Minister of Tourism,
Marthinus Van Schalkwyk who all received a commendable ‘B’.
2013 will bring a whole new set of challenges for the executive. Some of
these will be a continuation of the crises South Africa has witnessed
in 2012, others will be unavoidable, while others still can be prevented
if action is taken wisely. As we seek to build a South Africa that
works smartly and effectively for all the people, it is essential that
our government is held to the standard of bold leadership at all times,
by a President and a cabinet who put the interests of South Africans
above their own.
The DA will be there every step of the way: holding the executive to
account, providing alternative policy solutions, and championing respect
for the Constitution and the values enshrined in the Bill of Rights. By
doing so, we remain committed to making sure that South Africa truly
delivers on the promise of 1994.
Summary of Grades:
Department/ Position
|
Name
|
Grade
|
President
|
Jacob Zuma
|
F
|
Deputy President
|
Kgalema Motlanthe
|
C
|
Health
|
Aaron Motsoaledi
|
A
|
Basic Education
|
Angie Motshekga
|
D
|
Social Development
|
Bathabile Dlamini
|
D
|
Transport
|
Ben Martins
|
D
|
Higher Education and Training
|
Blade Nzimande
|
D
|
Presidency: Perfomance Monitoring and Evaluation
|
Collins Chabane
|
F
|
Communications
|
Dina Pule
|
E
|
Energy
|
Dipuo Peters
|
D
|
Economic Development
|
Ebrahim Patel
|
E
|
Water and Environmental Affairs
|
Edna Molewa
|
C
|
Sport and Recreation
|
Fikile Mbalula
|
C
|
Rural Development and Land Reform
|
Gugile Nkwinti
|
D
|
Justice and Constititional Development
|
Jeff Radebe
|
E
|
Public Service and Administration
|
Lindiwe Sisulu
|
C
|
Women, Children and People with Disabilities
|
Lulu Xingwana
|
E
|
International Relations and Cooperation
|
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
|
C
|
Public Enterprise
|
Malusi Gigaba
|
D
|
Tourism
|
Marthinus van Schalkwyk
|
B
|
Labour
|
Mildred Oliphant
|
F
|
Science and Technology
|
Naledi Pandor
|
A
|
Police
|
Nathi Mthethwa
|
F
|
Home Affairs
|
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
|
C
|
Defence
|
Nosiviwe Mpaisa-Nqakula
|
D
|
Arts and Culture
|
Paul Mashatile
|
D
|
Finance
|
Pravin Gordhan
|
B
|
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
|
Richard Baloyi
|
D
|
Trade and Industry
|
Rob Davies
|
B
|
Correctional Services
|
Sibusiso Ndebele
|
C
|
State Security
|
Siyabonga Cwele
|
F
|
Mineral Resources
|
Susan Shabangu
|
E
|
Public Works
|
Thulas Nxesi
|
D
|
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
|
Tina Joemat-Pettersson
|
F
|
Human Settlements
|
Tokyo Sexwale
|
D
|
Presidency: National Planning Commission
|
Trevor Manuel
|
C
|