President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) executive is one deputy minister short, after Democratic Alliance (DA) member Andrew Whitfield was removed from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).
Rumours have been swirling that a Cabinet reshuffle is imminent, and during a Cabinet briefing on Thursday, Minister in Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said a change had been made, but from the executive, not Cabinet.
“The Presidency can confirm that in terms of Section 93(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed the Honourable Andrew Whitfield, MP [member of Parliament], from the position of deputy minister for Trade, Industry and Competition. The president has thanked the former deputy minister for the time he served in the role,” Ntshavheni said.
Ntshavheni added that Ramaphosa would not be making a “wholesale Cabinet reshuffle”, contrary to earlier reports.
Whitfield was one of two DTIC deputy ministers, alongside Zuko Godlimpi, in an executive that numbered 75. Park Tau is the minister.
DA meets urgently
Immediately after Whitfield’s axing was announced, DA federal council chairperson announced an urgent meeting with her party colleagues.
“I have convened an urgent meeting of the DA’s federal executive today, following the actions of President Cyril Ramaphosa around the composition of the national executive of the Government of National Unity.
“The DA’s federal executive will meet later today [Thursday] and the DA will give further comment thereafter,” Zille said in a terse statement.
Ramaphosa’s second reshuffle
This is the second time Ramaphosa has tinkered with his executive since its formation last year after the 2024 general elections.
In December last year, Ramaphosa moved Thembi Simelane as minster of Justice and Constitutional Development, sending her to Human Settlements and moving Mmamoloko Kubayi the other way.
This reshuffle elicited polar outrage from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and DA, with the MK Party slamming Ramaphosa for removing a “courageous” Simelane,
The Blue Party, however, expressed disappointment at her redeployment, and instead urged Ramaphosa to remove her completely from his executive, due to VBS-related corruption accusations levelled against her.
Do you think the DA will leave GNU over Ramaphosa’s actions?
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