DA leader John Steenhuisen has said the configuration of the cabinet means that, for the first time, the voice of the DA will be heard.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his cabinet on Sunday, formed under the government of national unity.
The DA was given several cabinet posts and deputy minister posts. Steenhuisen was appointed as the minister of Agriculture.
Giving an online address on Monday morning, Steenhuisen said, the configuration they managed to negotiate ensured that, alongside the ANC, the DA was the only other party that was now represented across every one of the clusters in government.
“This means that, for the first time ever, the voices of DA voters will be heard in every sector and in every room where decisions are made about our country’s future,” he said.
He detailed the cabinet posts they had been allocated and what they hoped to achieve in those posts.
“In the economics cluster, the DA will use our influential Cabinet seats in Agriculture, Public Works and Infrastructure, the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as our Deputy Minister roles in Finance, Trade and Industry, and Small Business Development, to pursue rapid growth and job creation.
“On the governance front, the DA will build on our experience in improving service delivery to reform and enhance the vital front-line portfolio of Home Affairs,” he said.
“We will use our representation as Minister of Basic Education, as well as our Deputy Minister of Higher Education, to focus like a laser beam on improving the quality of education our children and students receive.
“And our representation in the Communication portfolio, alongside the Deputy positions in Water and Sanitation as well as Energy and Electricity, enables the DA to contribute to the improvement of these critical services.”
Steenhuisen said the sheer weight and spread of these portfolios amounted to a recognition that the DA had a meaningful and vital role to play in the reconstruction of our country.
The Mercury