Africa-Press – South-Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa fired a deputy minister from the second-largest party in the ruling coalition on Thursday, a move that renews strain on the stability of his administration.
Ramaphosa dismissed Deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Andrew Whitfield of the Democratic Alliance, without providing reasons for his removal.
The president “has not indicated any intention to conduct a wholesale cabinet reshuffle,” his office said in a statement.
The rand reversed a gain of as much as 1% after the announcement and traded 0.2% weaker at 17.78 per dollar by 6:10 p.m. in Johannesburg. The yield on benchmark government bonds due in 2035 climbed 3 basis points to 9.94% — off an intraday low of 9.85%.
Ramaphosa established a so-called government of national unity a year ago after elections failed to produce an outright winner. It agreed to focus on growing the economy and safeguarding the constitution, priorities that cheered investors and buoyed the nation’s assets.
The African National Congress and the DA subsequently clashed over several key pieces of legislation and the budget — the passage of which was twice delayed before a compromise was stuck. It’s unclear whether Whitfield’s firing will ultimately cause the 10-party alliance to unravel.
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said Whitfield was axed because he travelled abroad without receiving approval from the president.
At the same time, members of Ramaphosa’s ANC have retained their cabinet posts despite having been implicated in looting and corruption, he told lawmakers in Cape Town.
“This unilateral action is the result and a product of a flagrant double standard,” Steenhuisen said. “If this situation is not corrected, it will go down as the greatest political mistake in modern South African history.”
The DA questioned why Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane remains in cabinet, even after being accused of misleading parliament over the controversial appointments she has made.
The party urged Ramaphosa to fire ANC cabinet members implicated in graft within 48 hours.
Ramaphosa’s decision to make changes to his cabinet was triggered by the Nkabane issue, Cape Town-based news website News24 reported, citing people it didn’t identify.
A media liaison for the Department of Higher Education and Training said they were unaware of any planned changes to Nkabane’s portfolio.
Steenhuisen warned that a failure by Ramaphosa to remove Nkabane and other ministers who’ve been implicated in wrongdoing would have “grave consequences” for the country.
“What happens next is entirely on the ANC and President Ramaphosa,” he said, without specifying whether his party was considering withdrawing from the government.
After issuing its statement, the DA went on to vote alongside the ANC in favour of a law that underpins the budget, a move Steenhuisen said was “not for politics, but for South Africa.”
The legislation is one of a series of bills being presented to lawmakers as part of the process of approving Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s third draft of the national budget.
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