It is three years since the department of energy was divorced from its bigger, sexier government partner, the department of mineral resources. This year, to her credit, Dipuo Peters successfully launched the renewable energy independent power procurement programme,...
Perhaps this minister should get some credit for not being Cecil Burgess, chairperson of the joint standing committee on intelligence.Burgess attempted to infuse the practice of intelligence oversight with some kind of paint-on patriotism - unpleasantly sticky, but...
On December 7 the Mail & Guardian published a long-supressed forensic report by auditing firm KPMG that lays out, in staggering detail, President Jacob Zuma`s financial incontinence and names arms companies, banks and business people who were his willing...
This was a tricky year for Kgalema Motlanthe, who had to work with President Jacob Zuma, although it was clear they were always set to go head to head for the ANC`s leadership. But the two behaved like gentlemen, hiding any public discomfort with each other.This...
This department was established by President Jacob Zuma in 2009 after an ANC resolution taken in Polokwane to hold the government to account and ensure it met targets of the five key priorities of government: education, rural development, housing, job creation and...
Malusi Gigaba was always going to be proactive regarding the state-owned enterprises, and he is developing a reputation as a hard taskmaster. But there are concerns that his department lacks the skills to oversee the very large organisations in his portfolio,...
Tina Joemat-Pettersson is on a mission to uncover corruption in fisheries and it could turn out to be an unhealthy obsession because proof of malfeasance still has to be unveiled. In the meantime she has lost many of her staff, who have either resigned or been...
This is almost certainly the last report card we will ever write for Trevor Manuel, the Cabinet minister who has earned the most consistently high scores from us over nearly two decades in government.He has declined nomination for the ANC`s national executive...
Like his sector in general, Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile has had an interesting year. Two landmark occurrences influenced public perceptions of the arts and officialdom in South Africa – one positive and one negative. The first was the opening...
Fikile Mbalula has had a terrible year in terms of his political career in the ANC, but his performance in government has been stellar.His first effort that deserves commendation is his plan to revive sport in schools, which has been on the back burner for the past 18...
