WATCH | Public enterprises ministry will 'cease to exist' when SOE holding company is formed, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the department of public enterprises will “cease to exist” after the 2024 elections.

Ramaphosa was responding to questions in the National Assembly on Thursday when Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa asked about his bloated cabinet.

Ramaphosa guaranteed that the plan to streamline government departments, entities and programmes would happen in the next three years.

“The entities that are now overseen by the ministry of public enterprises will revert to their departments,” said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa mentioned that he trimmed the number of ministries down from 34 in 2019 to 30. He added that the increase is a temporary measure to address pressing issues — such as the electricity crisis.

“There are departments that lend themselves to being merged so that we have a much more efficient executive with fewer ministries. This is work in progress,” he said.