Mathews Phosa Calls for Country’s Bloated Cabinet to Be Reduced, South Africans Debate His Proposal
- African National Congress veteran Mathews Phosa discussed South Africa's bloated cabinet
- The former Mpumalanga premier also called for fewer provinces and restructured municipalities
- South Africans weighed in on Phosa's call, sharing varied reactions to the proposal
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG - Mathews Phosa has called for a dramatic reduction in the size of South Africa's government, arguing that the country's bloated public sector is draining resources and undermining effective governance.
The African National Congress (ANC) veteran and former Mpumalanga premier made the comments during an interview with eNCA on 19 August 2026. His comments drew immediate reaction from South Africans, with many agreeing with him.
The size of the cabinet has often been a topic of discussion, with South Africans arguing in the past that reducing it would cancel out the new for a tax hike.
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Phosa says a cabinet of 70 is unnecessary
At the centre of Phosa's argument is the size of the current Cabinet, which stands at 70 ministers and deputy ministers.
"Have you ever thought about how many Cabinet ministers you have? Seventy. Which means out of 400 members of Parliament in the National Assembly, 18% are either ministers or deputy ministers," he said.
"Do you need that? Do you need a Cabinet of 70 people? I think you only need 20. Do you need the bloated administration? No, you don't. You can concentrate these functions under fewer ministers and make them run them efficiently, he added.
Phosa argued the same logic should extend beyond the national government and should be applied at provincial and local government level. He stated that in his view, there should be fewer provinces, fewer blue lights and restructured municipalities.
How did South Africans react?
The remarks prompted a lively debate online.
Chris Sampson questioned Phosa's timing:
"My question is why is he only raising it now? He was also part of the problem that exists."
Thabo KR wrote:
"We don't need deputies. Neither do we need the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Merge such departments."
Percy Montgomery was more sceptical:
"Downsizing could be inconvenient since comrades have to eat again and again. Thanks to the politics of patronage."
Moreshka Lebona offered a more measured take:
“Government downsizing is essential to improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary expenditure. The savings generated could be redirected toward strengthening public services, improving infrastructure, and enhancing service delivery for citizens.”
Thabo Sthito, however, raised concern about the human cost:
"A lot of people will lose their jobs in this terrible economy. The main issue here is to improve efficiency and eliminate corruption in the public sector, and you can't do that by firing people and increasing unemployment."
Cyril Ramaphosa refuses to cut Deputy Minister posts
Briefly News previously reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the need for 43 deputy ministers.
Build One South Africa maintains that trimming the cabinet size would save the government billions of rands.
South Africans questioned the need for so many deputy ministers, with many claiming that they did nothing.
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Source: Briefly News
