Media reports in recent days have suggested that ANC and Democratic Alliance negotiators have agreed that one of six cabinet portfolios earmarked for the DA in the government of national unity (GNU) is communications digital technologies.
The communications ministry has broad oversight of the ICT sector - and of organisations such as communications regulator Icasa, the State IT Agency, the South African Post Office and the SABC.
According to a report in the Sunday Times (paywall), President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered the agriculture (sans land affairs), home affairs, basic education, public works infrastructure, communications and forestry, fisheries the environment to the DA.
It was not known at the time of writing which DA politicians will be appointed to the six available cabinet posts, including the communications portfolio, but the Sunday Times reported suggested the names the DA will put forward include:
- John Steenhuisen (federal party leader)
- Leon Schreiber (spokesman on public service administration)
- Dean Macpherson (party chairman in KwaZulu-Natal and spokesman on trade, industry competition)
- Siviwe Gwarube (current DA chief whip in parliament)
- Solly Malatsi (a former spokesman on communications and current deputy federal chairman of the party)
- Mat Cuthbert (head of policy)
The current shadow minister of communications is Natasha Mazzone, who has been the DA's spokeswoman on communications since April 2023.
