'A lot of things will happen', Ramaphosa warns underperforming ministers and deputies

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed “a lot of things will happen” to underperforming ministers and their deputies in his cabinet ahead of next year's election.

Ramaphosa, who delivered the closing address at the ANC election manifesto review session, said he would meet ministers and their deputies to determine whether the actions contained in the 2019 manifesto objectives had been implemented and achieved.

He said the review process was not aimed at producing a report card but rather an ambitious and achievable programme of action for the next five years.

“At the centre of the 2019 election manifesto was the commitment to work together with our people and various formations in our country to transform the economy and to serve the people of our country,” said Ramaphosa.

“This process has also followed the process that we have started in government at cabinet level. The deputy president [Paul Mashatile] and myself have been involved in a process where we have been meeting our ministers and saying to them, we want to know and fully understand — against our 2019 manifesto, the medium-term strategic plan or review and the departmental plans they have — what are the key priorities leading to the end of the sixth term?”

Ramaphosa said he would meet ministers over the next six months.

“When we meet them, they must have their deputy ministers, directors-general and some of the key officials to account what they have done in executing those priorities. We said we are not going to accept any excuses or explanations [because] the priorities they have set out must be addressed, met and executed, otherwise a lot of things will happen.”

In 2019, when announcing a new cabinet, Ramaphosa said ministers would be held to account. He signed performance agreements with members of the national executive after parliamentary approval of departmental annual performance plans.

“I will be signing performance agreements with each and every one of the ministers and deputy ministers which will be evaluated regularly against clearly stated targets and clearly stated performance outcomes. And where implementation is unsatisfactory, action will be taken,” he said at the time.

“We see these performance agreements as the cornerstone of a new culture of transparency and accountability, where those who are given the responsibility to serve — whether as elected office bearers or public servants — do what is expected of them.”

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