Gauteng departments reshuffled

The Gauteng social development department will be combined with the department of agriculture and rural development, premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Wednesday.

From April, they would be combined because the departments had a "strong synergy" since they were all involved in poverty alleviation and food security, she said in a statement.

This was in keeping with the announcement in the state-of-the-province address that departments would be reorganised to improve their functioning.

In the address last Monday, Mokonyane said the department of social development would be separated from the health department.

MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza would be responsible for agriculture, rural development and social development, but each would have their own head of department.

The creative industries and the Gauteng film commission would be moved from the economic development department to the department of sport, arts, culture and recreation under MEC Lebogang Maile.

The Gauteng shared services centre would be extricated from the treasury, which would become a stand alone department, and would become more involved in information and communication technology infrastructure development.

"The MEC for finance will ensure that the necessary funds are allocated to all the functions transferred from one department to another," Mokonyane said.

The Democratic Alliance was sceptical of the shuffle, saying the departments of social development and agriculture had little in common.

The department of social development, an "orphan department", still needed a dedicated MEC of its own, said spokesman Jack Bloom in a statement.

He welcomed the news that the treasury would be a single entity, but voiced concern over the future of the GSSC because it had "a history of failure".