Taxus Baccata

The first cabinet of Thabo Mbeki was the cabinet of the government of South Africa from 18 June 1999 until 29 April 2004. It was established by President Mbeki after his ascension to the presidency in the 1999 general election, replacing the transitional Government of National Unity. It remained in office until the next general election in 2004. Comprising 27 ministers, it was dominated by the majority party, the African National Congress, although the Inkatha Freedom Party also held three positions.

Establishment

After South Africa's second democratic general election in June 1999, the National Assembly of South Africa elected Thabo Mbeki to succeed Nelson Mandela as the President of South Africa. Mbeki had been the Deputy President of South Africa in Mandela's cabinet, which was a Government of National Unity formed by Mandela's African National Congress (ANC), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and, until 1996, the National Party. Mbeki announced his new cabinet on 17 June 1999.^[1]

The ANC had won a comfortable majority in the National Assembly and the Constitution of 1996 did not make any formal provision for power-sharing, but Mbeki opted informally to extend Mandela's Government of National Unity by maintaining IFP representation in the cabinet, in exchange for a similar form of power-sharing in Lionel Mtshali's KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council. Three cabinet posts were therefore held by members of the IFP, while the rest were held by the ANC.^[1][2]

Mbeki retained many of Mandela's ministers,^[3] though he increased the number of women ministers to eight of 27.^[4] The other major development in the cabinet announcement was the establishment of two new cabinet posts, the Minister of Intelligence Services and the Minister in the Presidency.^[5] The Guardian's Chris McGreal expected the first Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad, to become an "enforcer" in Mbeki's "super-presidency",^[4] and he did indeed become a powerful figure in Mbeki's national executive.^[6]

Reshuffles

During the cabinet's five-year term, Mbeki did not effect any major cabinet reshuffles but instead made individual appointments on three occasions after two resignations and one death. The first such reshuffle was occasioned when Joe Nhlanhla, the Minister of Intelligence Services, suffered a debilitating stroke in 2000. In January 2001, Mbeki appointed Lindiwe Sisulu to replace him.^[7]

The second reshuffle occurred over a year later in May 2002, when Charles Nqakula was appointed as Minister of Safety and Security following the death of the incumbent, Minister Steve Tshwete.^[8][9]

In December 2002, at the ANC's 51st National Conference, Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele was elected to the full-time position of ANC Deputy Secretary General and consequently resigned from the cabinet in the New Year.^[10] In February 2003, Brigitte Mabandla was appointed to replace her as Minister of Housing.^[11]

Finally, the Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, died in March 2004.^[12] Less than two months later the cabinet was dissolved after the April 2004 general election and replaced by Mbeki's second-term cabinet.^[13]

List of ministers

References