Sihle Zikalala Discusses Demotion, Acknowledges Challenge of Working Under a Less Qualified Minister

• Sihle Zikalala, the Deputy Minister of Public Works, has opened up on his recent demotion by President Cyril Ramaphosa
• Ramaphosa demoted Zikalala to deputy minister while appointing Dean Macpherson as the new minister of the department
• The move was heavily criticised by many, as Macpherson only has a matric qualification compared to Zikalala's degrees

Public Works Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala has opened up on his recent demotion.

The former KwaZulu-Natal Premier was replaced as the Minister of Public Works by the DA's Dean Macpherson, who was named the deputy minister instead.

Macpherson only has a matric qualification, while Zikalala holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science, a Bachelor of Administration Honours cum laude and obtained a master's degree in commerce.

A hard pill to swallow

Talking about the demotion from President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet, he admitted that it was a hard pill to swallow.

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“At face value, you take it and say, wow, what is happening?”

He added that leadership came to him and explained that because they failed to get a majority in the elections, they had to make compromises, and ministers had to relinquish their posts in favour of opposition candidates, something he accepted.

“I accepted that, and you might have noticed we have been working on ensuring that the programmes that started during the previous administration are not collapsing because the seventh administration,” he stated.

Education should count, says Zikalala

Zikalala added that it was a “difficult situation” but said that it was not a unique case. He explained that it was a societal issue when an African person had to double efforts to prove themselves just because of their skin colour,

“We must address that because education is important and it empowers you whether you are Black, Indian, Coloured or White. There is no one knowledgeable based on race, even on gender.”

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Malema was unhappy with Zikalala’s demotion

The former premier’s demotion came as a surprise to many within the ANC, especially given his qualifications as compared to Macpherson.

The decision also drew criticism from Economic Freedom Fighter’s leader, Julius Malema, who previously said Zikalala looked like an orphan.

“What you (Ramaphosa) did to Sihle Zikalala is painful. When you see Sihle sitting down on a chair and that white man of a minister (Dean Macpherson) sitting next to him, Sihle looks like a poor orphan who has just been given a piece job. Instead of just removing Sihle and doing away with that ministry, you humiliated him,” he said.

Macpherson to stop reckless spending

Briefly News previously reported how Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said he was committed to stop reckless spending.

The DA’s Macpherson was appointed the new minister, replacing the ANC’s Sihle Zikalala, who was once the Premier of Kwazulu-Natal.

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Macpherson vowed to crack the whip on excessive accommodation spending and to get his department's house in order.

Source: Briefly News