By ANDISIWE MAKINANA and LYNNETTE JOHNS
Western Cape premier Helen Zille's new cabinet of 10 men, six of them white, has come under criticism for alleged gender and race imbalances.
Zille has raised the ire of at least one gender equality organisation and that of opposition parties in that she is the only woman in her cabinet. It is made up of six white men, three coloured men and one African man.
Zille said she had selected the best people for the jobs.
"It might be open to criticism, but it's the best I could do." She said later the lack of women in her cabinet was an issue.
"It was a difficult job determining who I should appoint and to where but I applied the fitness-for-purpose principle."
Gender equality organisation Gender Links has suggested that citizens of the Western Cape could take class action - to the Constitutional Court - against the new administration.
The deputy director of Gender Links, Kubi Rama, said it was "completely shocking" for a political leader to justify appointing only men to a government structure.
"I know the DA takes a view that it represents all South Africans but in this country women are in the majority and deserve to be represented. What she has done is unfair."
Political commentator Zubeida Jaffer said that while appointing competent people to cabinet positions was important, representivity and diversity were too.
"You can't ignore representivity. It is going to be important how they recognise and make all communities feel they are being attended to," Jaffer added.
The ANC in the Western Cape said Zille's cabinet could not be less representative of the people of the province.
"In the context of a province where violence, particularly against women and children, needs strong families and strong communities, the composition of the Western Cape cabinet is a disgrace," it said.
It said Zille's cabinet reflected a party that was fundamentally opposed to affirmative action and held gender and racial equality in contempt.
"What's more the most powerful positions, including finance and public works and transport, have been entrusted to white men."
ANC provincial elections manager Chris Nissen said Zille's choice of cabinet "was not in tune with the national priorities of reconciliation and transformation and is an insult to competent black people".
Nissen said that considering it had been mostly coloureds who had voted for Zille, many of them women, it was a shame they were not properly represented in the legislature.
"The DA top structure has remained white, their offices have remained white and this does point to a party that will have selective delivery."