ActionSA has gazetted our Notice to introduce the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill which, if passed, would represent the most significant overhaul of the bloated Executive of 32 Ministers and 43 Deputy Ministers since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
This Amendment follows a series of governance failures. The latest being President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” amid allegations of interference in police investigations and ties to criminal elements. In response, the President announced that Prof. Firoz Cachalia, currently a non-MP and non-Minister, would be appointed as Acting Minister of Police. Thus surpassing the two current police deputy ministers. However, until Cachalia is formally sworn in under sections 91(3) and 95 of the Constitution, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe is presiding over the police portfolio in an acting capacity.
This is in addition to other questionable ministerial appointments, such as that of Thembi Simelane, who was implicated in the VBS corruption scandal and yet was appointed as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development before a late-night portfolio swap with Mmamoloko Kubayi, then Minister of Human Settlements. ActionSA has called lid criminal charges against Simelane.
This exposes serious structural flaws in the current constitutional framework. Firstly, Deputy Ministers are not constitutionally empowered to act in the absence of their Ministers, rendering them useless in moments of executive disruption. If Deputy Ministers cannot step in during a crisis, what purpose do they serve beyond being instruments of cadre deployment and financial waste?
Secondly, the President’s unfettered prerogative to appoint and dismiss ministers without any form of parliamentary oversight results in questionable appointments that escape proper scrutiny. Given that Ministers occupy positions of significant power and influence within the Republic, a higher standard of accountability and transparency must necessarily be applied to their selection with the ability of parliament to also dismiss them.
Key provisions of the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill to address this dysfunction:
- Abolishes the role of Deputy Minister entirely, removing all 43 Deputy Ministers will save South Africa billions. These positions are redundant and serve no meaningful governance purpose.
- Mandates parliamentary vetting of all Cabinet appointments, firstly through a committee set up specifically for this purpose and then a vote of the national assembly. Bringing an end to the era of late-night reshuffles and recycled deployments without oversight.
- Empowers the National Assembly to remove individual Ministers through motions of no confidence, ensuring that Parliament – not just the President – can enforce accountability.
- Expands the number of Ministers who may be appointed from outside Parliament from two to four, allowing qualified professionals and subject-matter experts to serve in Cabinet and bring fresh expertise into government.
These reforms are not introduced in isolation. They form part of ActionSA’s broader Cabinet Reform Package as announced in March 2025, which also includes the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, now formally tabled before the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.
This Bill introduces long-overdue oversight over the Ministerial Handbook, and includes the following key reforms:
- Ends the President’s unilateral power to amend the Ministerial Handbook without oversight.
- Requires all amendments to be reviewed by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, with consideration for prevailing economic conditions.
- Compels the President to report all changes to Parliament and publish them on the Presidency’s website within 30 days.
- Mandates a comprehensive parliamentary review of all Cabinet and Presidential perks immediately, and at least every five years thereafter.
These reforms are not symbolic gestures. They are practical, measurable steps designed to save taxpayers an estimated R1.5 billion a year, right-size government, and reinvest in what matters most: jobs, basic services, and infrastructure not politicians and their perks.
We invite all South Africans to show their support. Visit CUT THE CABINET to view a full draft of the Bill and sign our petition. For the next 30 days South Africans can email their submissions in favour of the Constitutional Amendment to speaker@parliament.gov.za and copy in parliament@actionsa.org.za.
Parliament must not only clean up the executive’s failures – it must be empowered to prevent them. South Africa cannot afford to drift leaderless during moments of national crisis. This Constitutional Amendment is ActionSA’s commitment to restoring integrity, professionalism, and accountability in the executive, while placing the power of appointment and removal where it belongs: in the hands of the people’s Parliament.
ActionSA Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Abolish Deputy Ministers and Strengthen Parliamentary Oversight
ActionSA has gazetted our Notice to introduce the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill which, if passed, would represent the most significant overhaul of the bloated Executive of 32 Ministers and 43 Deputy Ministers since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
This Amendment follows a series of governance failures. The latest being President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” amid allegations of interference in police investigations and ties to criminal elements. In response, the President announced that Prof. Firoz Cachalia, currently a non-MP and non-Minister, would be appointed as Acting Minister of Police. Thus surpassing the two current police deputy ministers. However, until Cachalia is formally sworn in under sections 91(3) and 95 of the Constitution, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe is presiding over the police portfolio in an acting capacity.
This is in addition to other questionable ministerial appointments, such as that of Thembi Simelane, who was implicated in the VBS corruption scandal and yet was appointed as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development before a late-night portfolio swap with Mmamoloko Kubayi, then Minister of Human Settlements. ActionSA has called lid criminal charges against Simelane.
This exposes serious structural flaws in the current constitutional framework. Firstly, Deputy Ministers are not constitutionally empowered to act in the absence of their Ministers, rendering them useless in moments of executive disruption. If Deputy Ministers cannot step in during a crisis, what purpose do they serve beyond being instruments of cadre deployment and financial waste?
Secondly, the President’s unfettered prerogative to appoint and dismiss ministers without any form of parliamentary oversight results in questionable appointments that escape proper scrutiny. Given that Ministers occupy positions of significant power and influence within the Republic, a higher standard of accountability and transparency must necessarily be applied to their selection with the ability of parliament to also dismiss them.
Key provisions of the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill to address this dysfunction:
These reforms are not introduced in isolation. They form part of ActionSA’s broader Cabinet Reform Package as announced in March 2025, which also includes the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, now formally tabled before the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.
This Bill introduces long-overdue oversight over the Ministerial Handbook, and includes the following key reforms:
These reforms are not symbolic gestures. They are practical, measurable steps designed to save taxpayers an estimated R1.5 billion a year, right-size government, and reinvest in what matters most: jobs, basic services, and infrastructure not politicians and their perks.
We invite all South Africans to show their support. Visit CUT THE CABINET to view a full draft of the Bill and sign our petition. For the next 30 days South Africans can email their submissions in favour of the Constitutional Amendment to speaker@parliament.gov.za and copy in parliament@actionsa.org.za.
Parliament must not only clean up the executive’s failures – it must be empowered to prevent them. South Africa cannot afford to drift leaderless during moments of national crisis. This Constitutional Amendment is ActionSA’s commitment to restoring integrity, professionalism, and accountability in the executive, while placing the power of appointment and removal where it belongs: in the hands of the people’s Parliament.