29 April 2004

President Thabo Mbeki has appointed three more women into his Cabinet, retaining nine women cabinet ministers and promoting three who were deputies. There are now 16 men and 12 women ministers in South Africa's executive, with 11 men and 10 women deputy ministers.

Forty-three percent of SA's cabinet ministers are women, up from 30% in 1999. "We have not yet reached 50%, but we are getting there", Mbeki said after the announcement.

This is the highest representation of women in Cabinet that South Africa - or Africa - has ever seen.

Gender Links Director Colleen Lowe Morna pointed out that Mbeki had appointed women ministers to head "critical departments", sending the message "that South Africa is moving towards a situation where it will be normal for women and men to hold equally important positions".

Mbeki appointed former chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Naledi Pandor as minister of Education, replacing Kader Asmal, who has retired from politics due to ill health.

He also promoted Deputy Arts, Culture, Science and Technology Minister Buyelwa Sonjica and Deputy Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Mapisa-Nqakula is now Home Affairs minister, replacing Mangosuthu Buthelezi, while Sonjica becomes minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, replacing Ronnie Kasrils, who has been moved to Intelligence.

A number of women ministers were retained in crucial positions: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Foreign Affairs, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang in Health, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in Minerals and Energy, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri in Communications, Stella Sigcau in Public Works, Thoko Didiza in Land Affairs and Agriculture, and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi in Public Service and Administration.

Former Intelligence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has been moved to Housing, while her predecessor, Bridgette Mabandla, will be responsible for Justice and Constitutional Development.

Mbeki also announced four additional female deputy ministers: former Members of Parliament Lulu Xingwana and Jean Benjamin, former President's Parliamentary Counsellor Sue van der Merwe, and former Western Cape Housing MEC Nomatyala Hangana.

Xingwana is now Minerals and Energy deputy minister, while Hangana replaces Ntombazana Botha as deputy minister of Provincial and Local Government - with Botha becoming deputy minister of Arts and Culture.

Benjamin is now deputy minister of Social Development, while Foreign Affairs gets an additional deputy minister in Van der Merwe.

Last week, Mbeki appointed four women as provincial premiers: Nosimo Balindela for the Eastern Cape, Beatrice Marshoff for the Free State, Dipuo Peters for the Northern Cape and Edna Molewa for North West.

Speaking after his induction as the country's President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria this week, Mbeki said that no government in South Africa could claim to represent the will of the people "if it failed to address the central task of the emancipation of women in all its elements, and that includes the government we are privileged to lead".

Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said that all the women appointed "have a long history of struggle, and we wish them well. We believe in the 50/50 campaign, to have equal representation of women at all levels of decision-making by 2005", Shabalala added. "This surely is a step in the right direction by the President."

Shabalala said the CGE did not seek the empowerment of women at the expense of men, but rather to forge a partnership between both. The commission, she said, sought to promote a society in which people had the opportunity to fulfill their potential regardless of their gender.

South Africa's 12 women ministers and 10 women deputy ministers are:

Ministers

	Left to right, top to bottom: new Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, New Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, New Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, and Land Affairs and Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza

	Three women lead N Cape Mbeki reshuffles Cabinet Thumbs up for women premiers SA women in Parliament up 10% Women in top jobs: SA is No. 3 Woman leads Africa's parliament Women take lead in AU SA's push for gender equity Commission on Gender Equality

	SA Government Online  Gender Links  Commission on Gender Equality

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