By Wendy Jasson da Costa
Despite the thumbs-up from some industry role-players, political parties have raised concerns about the minor cabinet reshuffle announced by President Thabo Mbeki.
In particular, the portfolio switch between Minerals and Energy Minister Lindiwe Hendricks and Buyelwa Sonjica, who heads up Water Affairs and Forestry, raised the eyebrows of the Freedom Front Plus.
The party's minerals and energy spokesperson, Willie Spies, said on Monday that Sonjica was the third minister to be appointed to that portfolio within 11 months, despite the sporadic energy crisis the country was experiencing.
He said the minerals and energy ministry was quite often in the public eye due to a variety of crises that had evolved over the past year.
This included revelations surrounding the Oilgate scandal that involved state oil company PetroSA, which fell within the ambit of the minerals ministry. It also included the fuel shortages suffered in December and problems regarding the supply of electricity, said Spies.
Mbeki's reshuffle follows the recent death of public works minister Stella Sigcau.
Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza takes over the portfolio of public works. She will be replaced by Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy Lulu Xingwana.
They will all be sworn in later this week.
The Freedom Front Plus said it was not in favour of Didiza's redeployment and her replacement by Xingwana.
"The FF Plus does not doubt the abilities of Ms Xingwana but is of the opinion that her appointment will only bring about a further delay in the land reform programme," said Pieter Groenewald, the party's spokesperson on agriculture and land affairs.
Groenewald said land reform in South Africa was an extremely sensitive issue that had given rise to a number of problems.
"The land reform process requires sensitivity and administrative effectiveness to prevent a Zimbabwe situation from developing. It will therefore take up quite a lot of time for the new minister to become acquainted with the land reform process and with the problems being experienced," he said.
The Democratic Alliance on Monday said agriculture was a complicated portfolio that Didiza had served with distinction, although she was less successful when it came to the land affairs part of her ministry.
The DA's spokesperson on agriculture, Kraai van Niekerk, said: "Xingwana will have to be careful of not repeating her past controversial statements, where she attacked big corporates like Sasol and made xenophobic statements in the National Assembly. Her new ministry cannot afford to have someone at the helm who speaks before she thinks."
Agri SA president Lourie Bosman said agriculture and land affairs was a difficult portfolio, but that Xingwana's academic and professional career attested to her intellect and wide experience, which would be to her advantage.