Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a new, slightly leaner Cabinet on Wednesday night which included a number of new faces but he also got rid of a few ministers.
In the days immediately after the elections in May calls mounted for Ramaphosa to axe among others, Bathabile Dlamini - the previous administration's Minister of Women in the Presidency.
In September last year, the Constitutional Court ordered Dlamini to pay 20 percent of the legal costs related to the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant payment debacle.
Freedom Under Law and the Black Sash Trust brought the application for a costs order, blaming Dlamini for the 11th-hour applications to the country's highest court, which led to extensions of the department's contract with Cash Paymaster Services to pay social grants.
The court found Dlamini was “not truthful” in her submissions and a decision would need to be taken by the National Director of Public Prosecutions whether or not to charge her with perjury.
Another scandal-tainted minister left out of Ramaphosa's Cabinet is Nomvula Mokonyane.
In his testimony before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, former COO-turned whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi said Bosasa boss Gavin Watson instructed him to pack cash amounting to R50 000 into bags for Mokonyane. He claims that this amount was handed to Mokonyane on a monthly basis for a number of years.
He also detailed a "Christmas shopping list' which Bosasa allegedly provided to Mokonyane at the end of every year. The list included 4 cases of spirits, various premium brand brandies and other high-end spirits, 40 mixed cases of beer, 8 lambs and 12 cases of frozen chicken.
Which other ministers are out?
* Derek Hanekom (Tourism)
* Rob Davies (Trade and Industry)
* Siyabonga Cwele (Home Affairs)
* Senzeni Zokwana (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
* Jeff Radebe (Energy)
* Nomaindia Mfeketo (Human Settlements)
* Susan Shabangu (Social Development)