Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday presided over the swearing in of three new members of the National Executive as well as a new Minister of Transport Ben Martins in Tuynhuys.
Martins, as well as Sindisiwe Chikunga, Bulelani Magwanishe and Mduduzi Manana, were sworn in by Judge President John Hlophe, during a brief ceremony at Tuynhuys at 2pm.
Martins, who has served as the Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises until 2009, replaces Sbu Ndebele, who was shifted to his new post as the Minister of Correctional Services.
Martins, from Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal, has been an MP since 1994, and also serves as a central committee member of the SACP.
He was a political prisoner on Robben Island from 1983 to 1991 and formerly served as the chairpersons of the trade and industry as well as that of home affairs, before being made Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises in 2009.
He holds various degrees, including a BA, as well as those of LLB and LLM in law.
The Committee Chairperson of the National Assembly's Police Portfolio Committee Sindisiwe Chikunga was sworn in as Deputy Minister of Transport.
Chikunga, who has serves as an MP for Carolina in Mpumalanga, since 2004, replaces Jeremy Cronin, who shifts to become Deputy Minister of Public Works.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC, Bulelani Magwanishe was sworn in as the Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises and ANC MP.
Magwanishe, from Germiston, has a BSc in Law from the US and an MBA and has served as an ANC MP since 1999.
Manana, who was serving as whip for the public service and administration portfolio committee, was sworn in as Deputy Minister of Higher Education.
He is from Standeron in Mpumalanga and replaces Hlengiwe Mkhize, who takes up her new position as Deputy Minister of Economic Development.
The position of Deputy Minister of Economic Development became vacant after Enoch Godongwana resigned earlier this year.
Manana has a BA in political science and sociology and also serves on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC Youth League.
