Senzo Mchunu: Police (suspended):
SCORE: F-
Mchunu’s legacy has taken a heavy knock from allegations of collusion with criminal syndicates which were made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi which resulted in two inquiries — the Madlanga Commission chaired by retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga and parliament’s police ad hoc committee.
Several months into office Mchunu disbanded the Kwazulu-Natal based political killings task team in December 2024 through a letter sent via Whatsapp. The directive was sent without consulting his two deputy ministers, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola, the task team’s project leader, crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo or even President Cyril Ramaphosa who called for the task team’s establishment in 2018 to address the growing number of murders among ward councillors during local elections.
Mkhwanazi, Masemola and Khumalo have accused Mchunu of disbanding the task team as it was closing in on Gauteng based Big Five criminal cartel lead by murder suspects Vusimuzi Cat Matlala and Katiso Molefe. Deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has also been implicated as Mchunu’s accomplice who ordered the removal of 121 case dockets from the task team with the intention of removing any evidence linked to Matlala and Molefe.
Both Mchunu and Sibiya have denied wrongdoing but there is no doubting the testimony against them from several witnesses is very damning.
Siviwe Gwarube: Basic Education:
SCORE: C
Under Gwarube, the department has seen some real and visible gains this year: record matric pass rates, a renewed strategic focus on early childhood and foundational learning, progress on sanitation and safety and stronger national oversight on finances.
The implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which Gwarube’s Democratic Alliance party is opposed to, has been cautious and incremental, with training and guidance for provincial officials, principals and school governing bodies. Mother Tongue–based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) was officially extended beyond the Foundation Phase: as of 2025, Grade 4 learners are being taught and assessed in their home language alongside English. Around 11 948 schools across all nine provinces are reported to be implementing MTbBE.
Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) Phase V was officially launched, placing about 200 000 unemployed young people as education assistants and general school assistants in roughly 20 000 schools across all nine provinces. Challenges however still remain including teacher shortages, infrastructure deficits, poor foundational learning outcomes and structural inequality across provinces.
Overall, Gwarube has laid down a coherent and ambitious policy framework and pushed for reforms; but implementation and resourcing remain a still have some way to go.
Kgosientsho Ramokgopa: Electricity and Energy:
SCORE: B+
A remarkable milestone under Ramokgopa’s leadership is an impressive and sustained electricity supply record, with over 196 consecutive days without loadshedding for the year 2025 and over 400 days of intermittent power supply.
The department’s Generation Recovery Plan aimed at improving energy availability and reliability has resulted in a 71% average in the Energy Available Factor (EAF). Ramokgopa has spearheaded the further unbundling of Eskom with the newly established National Transmission Company (NTC) which will facilitate private sector participation in building and using the power grid.
This will effectively end Eskom’s monopoly in power lines and energy transmission. Ramokgopa has stated enhanced competition in energy transmission will result in lowered prices and capped energy tariffs.
Electricity supply in South Africa is still heavily dependent on coal with 57% of available energy generated coupled with increasing use of diesel for turbines.
While the department is slowly achieving sustained power supply it is moving away from the country’s climate commitments. Coal has been designated a critical mineral for energy supply and job creation while the department has postponed the decommissioning of coal depended power stations.
Submit and get free exposure here: Showcase Your Business | Advertise Your Special Offers.
