Ashleigh Nefdt
Every week Perdeby puts together the week’s biggest national and international news stories.
We know you’re in a rush and sometimes simply need to brush over what’s going on around us. Here are some of the biggest news stories of the week.
Meet the cast of Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle
On 26 February at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded his first cabinet reshuffle.
From his first speech as President, Ramaphosa was very clear about his anti-corruption stance and need to improve the function of key ministries.
Here are some of the main changes:
Minister of Finance
Nhlanhla Nene is back and soon to be sworn in as our new Minister of Finance. That means that Malusi Gigaba is out, but not down, as he returns to his previous position as minister of Home Affairs.
Public Enterprises Minister
Pravin Gordhan’s returns to the game as Minister of Public Enterprises, which means Lynne Brown is completely axed from government. The reappointment of Nene and Gordhan has had a positive impact on business, with the CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, Bonang Mohale, stating that it was a step to boosting confidence, restoring growth and creating jobs.
Minister of Police
Another familiar face reemerges as Bheki Cele, the previous National Police Commissioner, sends Fikile Mbabula packing as Minister of Police.
Minister in the presidency
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was Ramaphosa’s main contender for ANC presidency, has officially replaced Jeff Radebe, promising a new approach to the presidency.
Home Affairs Minister
Malusi Gigaba’s returns to Home Affairs after his controversial appointment as finance minister. As minster of Home Affairs he was accused of facilitating the Gupta family in gaining South African citizenship.
Minister of Women in the Presidency
Bathabile Dlamini was another controversial appointment after her mishandling of social grants last year as Minister of Social Development.
Deputy President
Last but not least, we have a new Deputy President, David Mabuza, who was also involved in controversy with claims of corruption and his involvement in political assassinations.
The soon to be princess swears to empower women
On Wednesday, at the Make a Difference Foundation, the soon to be princess, Meghan Markle, said that she is determined to use her position as a woman in the British Royal Family to empower other women.
Markle referred to international movements such at #MeToo and #Time’sUp to make it clear that women today “don’t need to find a voice: they have a voice they need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen”.
The soon to be royalty said that the spirit of uplifting women is a lifetime role for her, and she will use whatever resources she can, making special mention at social media usage and the Royal family’s charity organisations, to uplift women all around the world.
Gun debate in America continues
The world faces the aftermath of the Florida shootings that took place last week. In a televised interview with the National Rifle Association (NRA), President Donald Trump stated that Republicans are afraid of a gun lobby but changes do need to be made. One suggestion was to raise the age limit from 18 to 21 to own a firearm, but as NRA PR director, Jennifer Baker, made clear, there needs to be a focus on mental health and background checks to ban people from yielding firearms, not simply raising an age limit.
