Three times Ramaphosa placed ministers on 'special leave' - What it means and why it matters

Published 1 day ago• 3 minute read

The term “special leave” has recently been a point of conversation as President Cyril Ramaphosa has on rare but significant occasions placed cabinet ministers on special leave.

According to the Constitution, the president holds the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. This is a provision that allows him the discretion to place ministers on special leave, though the term itself does not formally exist in legislation.

Special leave is typically granted when an official is under investigation, facing criminal allegations or temporarily stepping aside to avoid a conflict of interest.

It’s a tool the presidency uses to ensure accountability while investigations are ongoing.

Though not codified in the Constitution or Parliamentary rules, it aligns with the executive's responsibility to uphold public trust and good governance.

These are the three times the president has put ministers on special leave.

Police minister Senzo Mchunu was recently placed on special leave after explosive claims by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

During a press briefing Mkhwanazi alleged the existence of a criminal syndicate operating within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and intelligence structures, raising the spectre of political interference in policing.

In 2020 Ramaphosa put Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who was communications minister at the time, on special leave.

Ndabeni-Abrahams was the first person in Ramaphosa's administration to be put on special leave after an apparent violation of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

She was placed on two months’ special leave, one month of which was unpaid after she was pictured having lunch with ANC NEC member Mduduzi Manana. The image, shared on Manana’s Instagram, sparked widespread outrage as the country was under strict stay-at-home orders.

Addressing the matter, Ramaphosa made it clear public officials must lead by example during times of national crisis.

Despite her claim that she was there to collect personal protective gear, the president did not accept the explanation.

Ndabeni-Abrahams was also directed to publicly apologise to the nation.

In 2021 Zweli Mkhize, who was health minister at the time, was placed on special leave during a corruption investigation into a R150m contract awarded to Digital Vibes, a communications company linked to two of his former aides.

The contract related to government Covid-19 messaging raised red flags and drew scrutiny from the Special Investigating Unit.

“This period of special leave will enable the minister to attend to allegations and investigations concerning contracts between the department of health and a service provider, Digital Vibes,” the presidency said. Mkhize later resigned as minister.

Though not a directive given by the president, a leader who took special leave in 2024 is Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula after she came under investigation for corruption and money laundering after allegedly extorting a bribe from a contractor while she was minister of defence. A trial is ongoing. At the time she was speaker of parliament.

“This decision by myself is meant to protect the integrity of parliament and ensure its sacred duty and its name continue unblemished,” she said in a statement.

While the concept of special leave has become more visible under Ramaphosa’s administration, former presidents dealt with misconduct through other measures. Former president Thabo Mbeki fired then-deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge in 2007 after she defied his directives.

During former president Jacob Zuma's era, pressure mounted when former deputy higher education minister Mduduzi Manana was caught on camera assaulting a woman at a nightclub. Zuma demand his resignation.

One of Zuma’s most infamous non-actions was when he failed to reprimand ministers implicated in the Nkandla scandal, as ordered by then public protector Thuli Madonsela. It took a Constitutional Court ruling in 2016 to compel him to issue a symbolic reprimand, which critics labelled a “joke”.

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