President Jacob Zuma has transferred the Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), thus completing the reconfiguration of government in line with changes made to the National Executive in May 2014.

The transfer of functions and staff of the Ministry began in July and had now been concluded.

The Ministry for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, the National Planning Commission and the National Youth Development Agency, which were initially part of the Presidency, now fell under the DPME, which – alongside Statistics South Africa – now reported to Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe.

This followed Zuma’s announcement of a new Cabinet in May 2014 and various subsequent administrative and legal steps to give effect to the new Cabinet portfolios.

This included the gazetting of two proclamations in July 2014 to transfer the administration of legislation and entities from one Minister to another, amend the Public Service Act and establish and rename the new national departments.

The President shortly thereafter created the DPME, after which the National Planning Commission functions were transferred from the Presidency to the new department, with effect from October 1, 2014.

The Presidency said in a statement on Monday that the rationale behind the transfer was to institutionalise planning, monitoring and evaluation in government and to house these functions in one department to ensure cohesiveness and focus.