South Africans heaved a collective sigh of relief when the health of the nation was finally removed from the beetroot-stained hands of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. However, in the euphoric outpouring of delight that followed, the fact that she may be put in charge of yet another vulnerable group (women, youth and the disabled) during her tenure as a Minister in the Presidency has been largely overlooked.

Our spanking new president is also to be applauded for moving Charles 'stop whining' Nqakula to a more manageable portfolio: defence. Yes, the army may be small and the air force practically non-existent, but South Africa's biggest external threat probably comes from the friendly dictator next door… and we're all on pretty good terms.

Like Manto and Charles, Brigitte Mabandla decided to ditch the sinking (but loyal) ship SAS Mbeki and has been rewarded with the dimly-lit corridors of the Department of Public Enterprises. Yip, the lady who made a royal stuff-up of the whole Pikoli/Selebi saga will now shine her light on our country's most thriving utility — Eskom.

But what of the new ministers? Had you even heard of Barbara Hogan and Geoff Doidge before Kgalema Motlanthe put his trust in them? Mmm… we thought so.

Barbara Hogan

• Department: Health


• Replacing: Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
• Struggle credentials: Joined the ANC shortly after the 1976 uprising and was tasked with mobilising the white political left. Spent one year in solitary confinement and eight years of a ten year sentence in jail.
• Former positions: Chairperson of the influential parliamentary portfolio committee on finances (1999 – 2004).
• Stance on HIV/Aids: One of the few MPs to speak out against Aids denialism, Hogan is a member of the Amandla Aids Fund advisory board — the non-profit organisation provides grants to effective South African efforts to combat the Aids pandemic.

Nathi Mthethwa

• Department: Safety and Security


• Replacing: Charles Nqakula
• Former positions: Became an MP in 2002 and the ANC's Chief Whip in Parliament in January 2008.
• Stance on the Scorpions: Mthethwa has been strongly critical of the Scorpions and a vocal advocate of their assimilation into the South Africa Police Services. He regards the elite crime-fighting unit as a tool of white opposition politicians and strongly criticises the inclusion of detectives from the apartheid regime.

Mohamed Enver Surty

• Department: Justice and Constitutional Development


• Replacing: Brigitte Mabandla
• Education: BA and Honours in Philosophy from the University of Durban Westville (1974), B.Proc from Unisa (1977) and a LLM degree in Constitutional litigation from the University of the Western Cape.
• Struggle credentials: Acted as a lawyer for Cosatu affiliates including the National Union of Mineworkers. Served as a negotiator for the ANC on the Bill of Rights (1994 – 1996).
• Former positions: Deputy Minister of Education (since 2004). Served on the JSC from 2003 to 2004.

Siyabonga Cwele

• Department: Intelligence


• Replacing: Ronnie Kasrils
• Former positions: A chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on intelligence, Cwele was instrumental in the creation of the parliamentary report which discredited the Browse Mole Report (which implicated Jacob Zuma in a conspiracy the overthrow the government).
• ANC politics: avid Zuma supporter.

Geoff Doidge

• Department: Public Works


• Replacing: Thoko Didiza
• Former positions: Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC from 1999 to 2002. Appointed in 2001 by the ANC in the place of Andrew Feinstein as chair of its study group on public accounts. Member of the land affairs portfolio committee.
• Job before becoming an MP: vehicle sales manager.

So, there you have it. HIV/Aids policies are likely to improve; intelligence funds will be redirected; and this might be a good time to invest in a generator.