In South Africa, President Jacob Zuma'snewly named cabinet members are expected to be sworn in today (Monday). Somepolitical observers welcome Zuma's choice of former finance minister TrevorManuel to the newly created portfolio of National Planning Commission. They saythe choice is a move to reassure the international investor community which hasoften expressed fear that Zuma's policies would be left leaning. Described byZuma as a powerful ministry, Manuel's new position would be responsible forstrategic planning and coordination among all of South Africa's governmentdepartments.
Professor Shadrack Gutto is a constitutional law expert. He toldVOA that Manuel's appointment would elicit a positive reaction from theinternational financial market.
"Ithink that the reaction has been mixed and that was predictable. There is a bitof shakeup about four ministers that served under President (Thabo) Mbeki werenot included in the new cabinet. I guess that means that we have in terms ofwarm blood, more continuity than change because if only four have been removed,that means that those who were there were still valued," Gutto said.
Hesaid under the new president, different ministries have been created and somerenamed.
"Therehas been a lot of reorganization of various ministries or departments as itwere. We have seen a creation of new National Planning Commission dealing withplanning. We have also seen a departmental ministry within the presidencydealing with monitoring and performance evaluation of how various departmentsare actually operating," he said.
Guttosaid individual appointments into the new cabinet could generate a positivereaction from the financial market.
"Ithink it is going to be positive. There may be a few worries about portfoliossuch as justice and constitution development which is also important given thebattering that the judiciary has had and problems we have had," Gutto said.
Hesaid the work of the new minister for justice would carefully be scrutinized.
"Becausethe minister who has been put in that position, Mr. Jeff Radebe, has been oneof those who have been rather vocal in terms of expressing views about thejudiciary which are not very positive. Now that he has the mantle, you know wecan't prejudge any of these ministers and say that they are going to continuewith their reputation," he said.
Guttosaid the new president's path to the presidency might have contributed to theexpansion of the cabinet from the traditional 28 to 34.
"Ibelieve that this was really in line probably with the way in which Jacob Zumacame to power. That he was able to galvanize desperate interest groups andconstituencies and all of these were looking forward at least of being rewardedin one way or another," Gutto said.
Hesaid the expansion of the cabinet under the new president could be expensivefor South African taxpayers.
"Forthe country and the public resources, it is in the negative because the morecabinet is bloated, the more resources are wasted in simply fatteningpoliticians who add no value probably to the overall effectiveness ofgovernment," he said.
Former FinanceMinister Trevor Manuel had been in the job for 13 years, making him the world'slongest-serving finance minister. Investors approved of the tight monetary andfiscal policies he kept in place.
Some political analysts say Zuma's toughest challenge maybe balancing the interests of unions and communists who helped him rise to thetop against those who fear he will steer the economy to the left. Some of themore vocal left-wingers found places in the cabinet, but not holding keyeconomic portfolios.
Meanwhile, President Zuma Sunday appointed his predecessor,outgoing President Kgalema Motlanthe, as deputy president in the newadministration.
Despite the current globalfinancial downturn, President Zuma promised to tackle the tough economic crisis,widespread poverty, rising crime as well as insisting that he would not handout political favors to his ardent supporters.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) won anelection landslide on April 22, keeping the dominance it has enjoyed since theend of apartheid in 1994. Zuma made his way to the presidency despite facingtrials for rape and corruption. All the charges were eventually dropped, a movethat attracted wide condemnation from the opposition who claimed the NationalProsecuting Authority caved under the ruling party's enormous politicalpressure.