First Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki

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First Mbeki Cabinet
Flag of South Africa.svg
2nd Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa
(since the 1994 elections)
1999–2004
SthAfrica.ThaboMbeki.01 (cropped2).jpg
President Mbeki in 2003
Date formed18 June 1999 (1999-06-18)
Date dissolved29 April 2004 (2004-04-29)
(4 years, 10 months and 11 days)
People and organisations
President Thabo Mbeki
Deputy President Jacob Zuma
No. of ministers27 ministers
Member party
Status in legislature Majority
Opposition party
Opposition leader Tony Leon
History
Election 1999 election
Legislature term Second Parliament
Predecessor Mandela
Successor Mbeki II

The first cabinet of Thabo Mbeki was the cabinet of the government of South Africa from 18 June 1999 until 29 April 2004. It was established by President Mbeki after his ascension to the presidency in the 1999 general election, replacing the transitional Government of National Unity. It remained in office until the next general election in 2004. Comprising 27 ministers, it was dominated by the majority party, the African National Congress, although the Inkatha Freedom Party also held three positions.

Contents

Establishment

After South Africa's second democratic general election in June 1999, the National Assembly of South Africa elected Thabo Mbeki to succeed Nelson Mandela as the President of South Africa. Mbeki had been the Deputy President of South Africa in Mandela's cabinet, which was a Government of National Unity formed by Mandela's African National Congress (ANC), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and, until 1996, the National Party. Mbeki announced his new cabinet on 17 June 1999. [1]

The ANC had won a comfortable majority in the National Assembly and the Constitution of 1996 did not make any formal provision for power-sharing, but Mbeki opted informally to extend Mandela's Government of National Unity by maintaining IFP representation in the cabinet, in exchange for a similar form of power-sharing in Lionel Mtshali's KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council. Three cabinet posts were therefore held by members of the IFP, while the rest were held by the ANC. [1] [2]

Mbeki retained many of Mandela's ministers, [3] though he increased the number of women ministers to eight of 27. [4] The other major development in the cabinet announcement was the establishment of two new cabinet posts, the Minister of Intelligence Services and the Minister in the Presidency. [5] The Guardian's Chris McGreal expected the first Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad, to become an "enforcer" in Mbeki's "super-presidency", [4] and he did indeed become a powerful figure in Mbeki's national executive. [6]

Reshuffles

During the cabinet's five-year term, Mbeki did not effect any major cabinet reshuffles but instead made individual appointments on three occasions after two resignations and one death. The first such reshuffle was occasioned when Joe Nhlanhla, the Minister of Intelligence Services, suffered a debilitating stroke in 2000. In January 2001, Mbeki appointed Lindiwe Sisulu to replace him. [7]

The second reshuffle occurred over a year later in May 2002, when Charles Nqakula was appointed as Minister of Safety and Security following the death of the incumbent, Minister Steve Tshwete. [8] [9]

In December 2002, at the ANC's 51st National Conference, Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele was elected to the full-time position of ANC Deputy Secretary General and consequently resigned from the cabinet in the New Year. [10] In February 2003, Brigitte Mabandla was appointed to replace her as Minister of Housing. [11]

Finally, the Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, died in March 2004. [12] Less than two months later the cabinet was dissolved after the April 2004 general election and replaced by Mbeki's second-term cabinet. [13]

List of ministers

PostMinisterTermParty
President of South Africa His Excellency Thabo Mbeki 19992004 ANC
Deputy President of South Africa His Excellency Jacob Zuma 19992004 ANC
Minister in the Presidency The Hon. Essop Pahad 19992004 ANC
Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs The Hon. Thoko Didiza 19992004 ANC
Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology The Hon. Ben Ngubane 19992004 IFP
Minister of Correctional Services The Hon. Ben Skosana 19992004 IFP
Minister of Defence The Hon. Mosiuoa Lekota 19992004 ANC
Minister of Education The Hon. Kader Asmal 19992004 ANC
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism The Hon. Valli Moosa 19992004 ANC
Minister of Finance The Hon. Trevor Manuel 19992004 ANC
Minister of Foreign Affairs The Hon. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma 19992004 ANC
Minister of Health The Hon. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang 19992004 ANC
Minister of Home Affairs The Hon. Mangosuthu Buthelezi 19992004 IFP
Minister of Housing The Hon. Brigitte Mabandla 20032004 ANC
The Hon. Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele 19992003 ANC
Minister of Intelligence Services The Hon. Lindiwe Sisulu 20012004 ANC
The Hon. Joe Nhlanhla 19992000 ANC
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development The Hon. Penuell Maduna 19992004 ANC
Minister of Labour The Hon. Shepherd Mdladlana 19992004 ANC
Minister of Minerals and Energy The Hon. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka 19992004 ANC
Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting The Hon. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri 19992004 ANC
Minister of Provincial and Local Government The Hon. Sydney Mufamadi 19992004 ANC
Minister of Public Enterprises The Hon. Jeff Radebe 19992004 ANC
Minister of Public Service and Administration The Hon. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi 19992004 ANC
Minister of Public Works The Hon. Stella Sigcau 19992004 ANC
Minister of Safety and Security The Hon. Charles Nqakula 20022004 ANC
The Hon. Steve Tshwete 19992002 ANC
Minister of Social Development The Hon. Zola Skweyiya 19992004 ANC
Minister of Sport and Recreation The Hon. Ngconde Balfour 19992004 ANC
Minister of Trade and Industry The Hon. Alec Erwin 19992004 ANC
Minister of Transport Office vacant
The Hon. Dullah Omar 19992004 ANC
Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry The Hon. Ronnie Kasrils 19992004 ANC

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References

  1. 1 2 "Mbeki names his cabinet". BBC News. 17 June 1999. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Dean E. (18 June 1999). "Cabinet Shuffle in South Africa: New leader Mbeki reorganizes, but without upsetting equilibrium". SFGate. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Reaction to Cabinet mostly positive". The Mail & Guardian. 1999-06-17. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  4. 1 2 McGreal, Chris (1999-06-18). "Mbeki doubles women in cabinet". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. ↑ "Mbeki's cabinet". BBC News. 17 June 1999. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  6. ↑ "Tough at the top". Helen Suzman Foundation. 1999. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  7. ↑ "Mbeki reshuffles cabinet". News24. 24 January 2001. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  8. ↑ "Tshwete's successor named". News24. 6 May 2002. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  9. ↑ "Cabinet reshuffle a family affair". The Mail & Guardian. 2002. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  10. ↑ "The race is on to find new housing minister". The Mail & Guardian. 2003-01-27. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  11. ↑ "Mabandla's appointment based 'purely on merit'". The Mail & Guardian. 2003-02-28. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  12. ↑ "SA mourns death of Dullah Omar". The Mail & Guardian. 2004-03-12. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  13. ↑ "Mbeki's cabinet list". News24. 28 April 2004. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
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