Written By: Matsheole Majoro
In July 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa commissioned Dina Pule as Minister of Social Development. Pule was removed from Cabinet in 2013 after the Public Protector found her guilty of maladministration and improper conduct. Parliament discovered that she had defiled her oath of office and brought Parliament to shame. The issue was also referred for criminal investigation. Yet she was brought back into cabinet, trusted with a folder that manages social grants to 28 million South Africans.
This is not something new. Ministers discharged for misconduct or incompetence show up in new deployments. Thembi Simelane, linked to the VBS scandal, is still in cabinet. Gwede Mantashe was condemned in the Zondo Commission’s findings. He also is still in Cabinet. South Africa has 75 ministers and deputy ministers. The executive is stuffed, irresponsible and increasingly unqualified.
The constitution does not require ministers to have any specific qualifications. The president is free to choose anyone to serve as a minister, who is a Member of Parliament. A matric certificate is enough – that’s the bar. Three ministers (or former ministers) have only a Matric qualification: Agriculture’s John Steenhuisen (DA), Public Works Dean Macpherson (DA), and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie (PA). Twenty-six of 29 ministers have some form of higher education, but higher education does not guarantee capability. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga holds a master’s in education.
The DA’s own record on ministerial qualification is revealing. John Steenhuisen, after finishing school in 1993, worked his way up to become the DA leader and later Minister of Agriculture, without a university degree. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has been openly cynical of this. When Steenhuisen was substituted for Willie Aucamp in June 2026, the VF Plus noted that Aucamp has “a stronger agricultural background” and once served on the Department’s Portfolio Committee.
Policy analyst Sandile Swana put it plainly: “Anybody who is holding public office should have the minimum qualifications, so they know all the laws relevant to their portfolio.” He added: “If you are not well trained you will not understand the most basic aspects and therefore you will be incapable of fulfilling your duties”.
The objection is not just about educational credentials; it’s about how the government should be run by people who know what they are doing and are capable. South Africa’s National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector was adopted by Cabinet in 2022. It seeks to guarantee that “only qualified and competent individuals are appointed into positions of authority.” Yet ministers are expressly excused from its requirement. The same government that requests senior managers to hold an NGF level 8 qualification and 7+ years of experience excuses its own political leadership.
ActionSA has proposed a constitutional amendment to professionalise Cabinet appointments. The amendment would order parliamentary screening of all Cabinet appointments, enable the National Assembly to remove ministers through a motion of no confidence, this could increase the number of ministers who can be appointed from outside Parliament from two to at least four. The last stipulation is important as it would allow skilled professionals and subject-matter experts to serve in Cabinet.
The solution is rather straightforward. Amend to constitution to require minimum qualifications for ministerial appointments, relevant qualifications, not just any degree. Second, demand parliamentary confirmation hearings for all Cabinet appointments, with the power to reject. Third, do away with Deputy Ministers entirely. This would save billions and eliminate 43 needless positions. Finally, allow the appointment of experts from outside Parliament, people with verified expertise, not just party loyalty. The National Planning Commission is already systematically set up this way: 25 commissioners appointed for their technical expertise and professional experience across diverse sectors. This has proven to work for the Commission; it can also work for cabinet.
Critics will argue that democracy means elected representatives govern, not unelected experts. However, ministers would still be accountable to Parliament. The only change is that they would know what they are doing. A democratic government that cannot deliver basic services is not democratic. South Africans don’t need more politicians; they need people who can fix the power grid and run the health care system.
The Pule appointment sends a clear message that capability and integrity don’t matter, only loyalty matters. South Africa’s challenges are too critical for a cabinet that treats ministerial posts as a prize for those that are politically connected. South Africans deserve better than a Matric pass and a party card.
Matsheole Majoro is a final-year International Relations student and an associate of the Free Market Foundation.