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President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe as the Acting Minister of Police, with immediate effect.
According to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa on Tuesday, Mantashe’s appointment is temporary and will remain in effect until Professor Firoz Cachalia takes over the portfolio at the start of August 2025.
“Minister Mantashe will serve in this capacity until Prof Firoz Cachalia, who will retire from his position at the University of the Witwatersrand at the end of this month, assumes his position at the start of August,” the statement read.
Mantashe will retain his current responsibilities as Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources while overseeing the Police Ministry.
Transition Ahead as Pressure Mounts on SAPS
The temporary appointment comes at a time when the Ministry of Police is facing mounting public pressure, while ongoing allegations implicating senior officials and calls for greater accountability within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Presidency has not released further information on the reasons for the transition, but it comes just weeks before the expected permanent appointment of Professor Cachalia — a legal academic and former ANC politician who is widely expected to bring reform-minded leadership to the ministry.
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