Trollip says ActionSA aware uphill battle in efforts to scrap deputy ministers ahead
The party has announced the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill, seeking to overhaul the size of the country's executive.
ALSO READ: ActionSA's Trollip: Deputy ministers are redundant doormen and doorwomen for their ministers
ActionSA said the Cabinet is bloated with 32 Ministers and 43 Deputy Ministers.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's appointment of Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting minister, an outsider, despite there being two deputy ministers in the ministry.
Trollip said they have a big mountain to climb trying to pass the bill.
"We will have to get 2/3 support in Parliament, and it's obvious that parties that are in the GNU [Government of National Unity] that are benefitting from Cabinet posts and deputy minister positions are unlikely to support it. But we will remind a number of those parties that when we were in opposition, they were very much pro in getting rid of deputy ministers and cutting the size of the Cabinet."
He added that deputy ministers are a waste of taxpayers' money.
"Also, we've looked at other countries with much bigger populations and much bigger economies where they run the country with no deputy ministers and 20 Cabinet ministers. So, we believe that we can run this country or should be running this country with 20 cabinet ministers and no deputy ministers."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
4 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Malema says Mashaba's perceived arrogance could jeopardise stability of Tshwane coalition
JOHANNESBURG - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba's perceived arrogance could jeopardise the stability of the coalition government in Tshwane. Tensions have been mounting between coalition partners, the African National Congress (ANC) and ActionSA, over city manager Johann Mettler's continued presence in office. The ANC is pushing for Mettler's removal, citing his alleged irregular appointment, but mayor and ActionSA member Nasiphi Moya won't heed the ANC's demands. Speaking on EWN's Politricking podcast, Malema said Mashaba's actions could collapse the coalition. 'The problem is not the ANC this time around, the problem is Herman, whose party has less numbers than the ANC. He is behaving like he has power. Ego is what is going to kill these people's political careers.' Malema sent a message to Mashaba: 'Humble yourself. They are not saying they don't want ActionSA, they're saying they have a problem with this municipal manager, they put their facts on the table. Listen to them, okay, agree, and then start a process jointly, collectively to come up with a city manager.'
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
When politicians and criminals blur lines
The presence of politicians near murder suspects and failure to act on Zondo's report signal deep systemic decay. Two recent events highlighted a perceived intermingling of South African politicians with the criminal underworld – and the ANC's utter inability to fix this. The first event was Kenny Kunene pitching up at the home of a murder suspect at the centre of a web of alleged politically tainted criminality. The second was former chief justice Raymond Zondo's critique of President Cyril Ramaphosa's failure to implement recommendations of the commission of inquiry into state capture. Kunene's stated reasons for being at Katiso Molefe's home were implausible to radio, TV and social media audiences. Even his long-time friend and political boss, fellow ex-convict Gayton McKenzie, knew the position was indefensible. ALSO READ: Why the ANC remains a safe haven for corruption Molefe was mentioned in KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's media conference on 6 July, where allegations were made about senior police machinations. Molefe should have been off-bounds for any media-savvy politician. Kunene has not only reinforced the common perception that politicians are not to be trusted. It goes deeper. In an environment where whistle-blowers are slain with impunity, the link to a murder suspect could give rise to more sinister inferences. Impunity is also at the heart of Zondo's concerns, where he detailed failures of the justice system. As chief justice, he found it painful to swear-in Cabinet ministers who had serious state capture findings against them. ALSO READ: Now we wait for accountability, Mr Mayor 'It was like the president was saying: 'I don't care what you have found about these people. I think they are good enough to be promoted.'' Zondo's words are a vote of no confidence in Ramaphosa by arguably the most respected judge in the country. Zondo lacks faith that crooks will be brought to book under Ramaphosa's presidency. Indeed, in South Africa, most culprits get away with murder and much else. Only around 6.8% of murder cases with arrests lead to convictions. In many cases, there are no arrests. So, the percentage of murder convictions per total number of murders (with and without arrests) will be lower. This picture contributes to the impunity with which criminals, including politicians, operate. In every sphere, crooks carry on because they know the chances of being convicted are slim. Proper implementation of Zondo's recommendations would have changed this perception. ALSO READ: The real national dialogue has begun On Monday, the Presidency reported 'significant progress' in implementing reforms. Ramaphosa claimed 48% completion of actions from Zondo's recommendations, adding that high-profile cases are scheduled for 2025-26. Given the lack of success in cases thus far, it is hardly reassuring to hear that cases are pending. Where are the significant arrests? Why did Ramaphosa choose for his Cabinet from people implicated in Zondo's report? Zondo has every right to feel disappointed. After sitting for four years, hearing 300 witnesses, producing 8 655 530 pages of documents and spending R1 billion of taxpayers' money, implicating more than 1 438 people, his team felt 'their efforts were for nothing'. Many South Africans will agree. Why are so many of the people implicated in the Zondo report now sitting in parliament instead of being in court or in jail? ALSO READ: RET faction gains ground as Ramaphosa falters And ex-con politicians link themselves to murder suspects. When politicians and criminals are indistinguishable from each other and the underworld are overlords, it's time to revolt.
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
History will not tolerate Israel regime's deception
Iran rejects Israeli claims and denounces the regime's ongoing assault on Gaza as genocide backed by Western complicity. In response to the remarks made by one of the representatives of the Zionist regime in The Citizen newspaper dated 14 July, 2025, the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Pretoria deems it necessary to share the following points with the vigilant people of South Africa and public opinion. First and foremost, this statement is a response to the comments made by a representative of a terrorist and child-killing regime; a regime that, in just the past 20 months, has systematically massacred innocent people, including thousands of Palestinian women and children. The ongoing daily genocide in the Gaza Strip committed by this regime is a stain on humanity and a clear sign of state fascism in the modern era. The use of starvation as a weapon against the people of Gaza is another inhumane tactic employed by this apartheid entity, clearly in violation of international humanitarian law. A regime that itself admits to possessing illegal nuclear arsenals, is not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and escapes international oversight with the backing of certain Western powers, has not the slightest legitimacy to comment on other countries. ALSO READ: Is GNU to blame for Powell's resignation as DA's international relations spokesperson? The remarks of this Zionist official are a desperate attempt to divert public attention from the widespread crimes and ongoing genocide against the people of Palestine. This effort is not only baseless but also morally bankrupt and unacceptable. In this context, it is worth recalling that the direct aggression by the Zionist terrorist regime against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 13 June, 2025 – carried out with the support and coordination of the US – led to the martyrdom of more than 1 100 Iranian civilians, including women, children, university professors, doctors and members of the media and emergency services. Over 6 000 others were injured, many of whom were women and children. These illegal strikes also targeted Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities, which are fully under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and have always remained transparent and compliant with international obligations. Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and continues to cooperate with global mechanisms. ALSO READ: Hamas delegation travels to Turkey as Gaza ceasefire talks falter What has been done by the Zionist regime and the US against Iran constitutes a blatant act of aggression. In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran exercised its legitimate right to self-defence and responded to the aggression with calculated precision. Iran's determined response not only disrupted the Israel's military calculus but reaffirmed its strategic resilience and commitment to international law. The record of the Zionist regime speaks for itself. Over the past eight decades, Israel has carried out more than 3 000 terrorist operations inside and outside of the occupied territories. ALSO READ: Trump contradicts Netanyahu, Palestinians in Gaza facing 'real starvation' [VIDEO] As a result of its crimes, more than seven million Palestinians have been displaced and made refugees, hundreds of thousands have been killed and over one million Palestinians have been imprisoned. In just the past 21 months, nearly 200 000 individuals – mostly women and children – have been killed or wounded in Gaza. Moreover, over 40 000 residential areas and infrastructure sites have been destroyed or severely damaged. Iran has always defended the rights of all nations to self-determination and has called for a fair and democratic resolution to the Palestinian crisis through a referendum involving all original inhabitants of the land, regardless of religion or ethnicity. In this regard, Iran is the voice of the oppressed – not seeking imposition, but justice. ALSO READ: Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting Not seeking domination, but equity. The Israel regime attempts to reverse the roles of oppressor and oppressed through false victimhood, but its hideous face is already known to the world and history will not tolerate such deception.
