![\"South](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghana-mma.com\/2019\/06\/30080354-696x464.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanamma.com\/2019\/06\/30080354-696x464.jpg\" "\\"South")
<\/div>\nSouth Africa\u2019s President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed 50 percent women in his new cabinet, a first for Africa\u2019s second biggest economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time in the history of our country, half of all ministers are women,\u201d the 66-year-old leader said in a televised address on Wednesday in capital Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa said he reduced the number of ministers to 28 from 36 by combining a number of posts in a bid to cut spending, promote greater coherence and improve efficiency.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll South Africans are acutely aware of the great economic difficulties our country has been experiencing and the constraints this has placed on public finances,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said he \u201cplaced priority on revitalising the economy while exercising the greatest care in the use of public funds\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2018Experience, continuity, competence\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Ramaphosa was sworn in on Saturday as the sixth democratically-elected president of South Africa. <\/p>\n He pledged to revive the stagnating economy, create jobs and rid the country of corruption.<\/p>\n In his new cabinet, Ramaphosa included a significant number of young people and opposition party leader Patricia De Lille as Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to the surprise of many.<\/p>\n \u201cIn appointing a new national executive, I have taken a number of considerations into account, including experience, continuity, competence, generational mix and demographic and regional diversity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader also retained influential Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Pravin Gordan as Minister of Public Enterprises. The duo is known for fighting corruption and cutting government spending.<\/p>\n Ramaphosa also retained David Mabuza as deputy president and appointed Naledi Pandor as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.<\/p>\n Analysts described Ramaphosa\u2019s cabinet picks as a market-friendly outcome that maintains important allies in key ministries while sidelining some top officials in the ruling African National Congress accused of corruption and mismanagement.<\/p>\n \u201cIn all, the cabinet appointments announced tonight speak of a new confidence in the Ramaphosa administration,\u201d Razia Khan, chief Africa economist at Standard Chartered Bank told Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n \u201cShould this momentum and seemingly new-found confidence be built on with the pursuit of further structural reform, then markets would be correct to react positively.\u201d Khan added.<\/p>\n Some analysts, however, expressed concern over the number of deputy ministers, which remained at above 30.<\/p>\n \u201cTrimming the size of cabinet by the size he did is a strong message, but creating so many deputy ministries is a problem. So no, it\u2019s not enough yet,\u201d Ralph Mathekga, an independent political analyst, said.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n