In answer to the current call by Parliament for proposed Constitutional amendments, Free SA has launched a campaign calling for a firm constitutional limit on the size of South Africa’s Cabinet, arguing that the current Constitution grants the President excessive discretion to expand the executive at taxpayers’ expense.
The campaign forms part of Free SA’s broader constitutional review submissions and proposes an amendment to Section 91(3)(b) of the Constitution to limit the number of Cabinet Ministers to no more than twenty. Under the current wording, the President may appoint any number of Ministers from among members of the National Assembly, creating the potential for unnecessary cabinet expansion and political patronage.
As South Africa enters an era of coalition politics, Free SA warns that the temptation to create additional ministerial positions to satisfy political interests rather than improve governance is greater than ever. Larger cabinets place a significant financial burden on taxpayers through ministerial salaries, support staff, official residences, security, vehicles, and administrative structures, while often creating overlapping mandates and reducing accountability.
Gideon Joubert, spokesperson for Free SA, said: “South Africans deserve a government that is focused on service delivery, not political accommodation. An unlimited Cabinet creates opportunities for wasteful expansion and weakens accountability. A constitutional cap would help ensure that future governments remain lean, efficient, and focused on delivering results for citizens.”
Free SA argues that a smaller executive would strengthen governance by clarifying ministerial responsibilities, reducing duplication between departments, and improving public oversight of government performance. The organisation further contends that constitutional safeguards are necessary to prevent the executive from expanding purely to manage coalition dynamics rather than to serve the public interest.
The proposed amendment would replace the current constitutional provision with wording that limits the President to appointing no more than twenty Ministers from among members of the National Assembly. Free SA believes such a reform would promote fiscal responsibility, enhance accountability, and help restore public confidence in government institutions.
Free SA is encouraging South Africans to participate in the constitutional review process by supporting the proposal and making their voices heard.
“Every rand spent on unnecessary political appointments is a rand that cannot be spent on improving infrastructure, fixing public services, or growing the economy. South Africa needs a government that works smarter, not a government that grows larger,” Joubert added.
(Photo: GCIS)