Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma and his Deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, have welcomed the new Ministers and Deputy Minister at a swearing in ceremony at Tuynhuys, Cape Town.
The ceremony was held on Tuesday evening following Zuma's announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle in Pretoria on Monday.
Constitutional Court Judge Justice Zak Jacoob presided over the swearing-in of new Public Works Minister Thembelani Nxesi, Communications Minister Dina Pule and Rural Development Deputy Minister Lechesa Tsenoli.
Deputy Minister of Communications designate Thembisa Stella Ndabeni is set to be sworn-in at a later stage as she was out of the country.
According to the Presidency, only new members of the National Executive, who were taking oath for the first time, were required to be sworn in.
Minister Richard Baloyi, who took over the Cooperative Governance portfolio, and Minister Roy Padayachie, who has taken over the Public Service and Administration portfolio did not have to be sworn in as they have already done so.
The same applied to the new Deputy Ministers - Women, Children and People with Disabilites Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu and Obed Bapela Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation.
After the ceremony, the new Cabinet members told the media they were ready for the tough challenge ahead of them.
Nxesi said he took the new job seriously and would embark on a "listening campaign" in the department in order to get a feel for its challenges.
He said he would not necessarily change the department's plans but he would look into the department's programmes. He indicated that hard work lay ahead.
Pule said that her new task was a huge responsibility and "a bit overwhelming". She said she would approach Padayachie, who has just left the department, in order to understand the challenges.
She also planned to talk to the department's Director-General and staff in order to come to grips with the vision and programmes of the department.
Tsenoli said he was faced with a tough assignment, particularly in dealing with poverty in rural areas.
