By Simon Nare
President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his dismissal of Democratic Alliance MP Andrew Whitfield as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, saying he failed to follow due process.
Whitfield was shown the door on Thursday. While Ramaphosa did not give a public reason, the DA said it was because he had failed to get permission from the president to participate in a DA diplomatic mission to ease tension between South Africa and the United States.
DA leader John Steenhuisen has since called for the heads of two ANC ministers and a deputy minister, threatening that if Ramaphosa ignored the calls, he would be putting the country at risk.
“Let it be clear that the president shall not yield to threats and ultimatums, especially coming from members of the executive that he has the prerogative to appoint in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Friday.
He maintained that it was unprecedented that he had to explain himself, and now was in a position where he had to do so publicly due to unfortunate statements and distortions by Steenhuisen and Whitfield.
The president repeated that Whitfield’s trip to the US was in violation of the rules and established code of conduct of ministers.
He said Whitfied had familiarised himself with these rules when he was inducted.
“There is really no basis for suggestions that the dismissal of the former deputy minister is related to any other reason than his failure to receive permission to travel and adhere to the rules and established practices expected of members of the executive of the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
He confirmed that he had spoken to Steenhuisen before he informed Whitfield of his dismissal. He revealed that the DA leader had asked him if there was precedent in his move.
Ramaphosa said he reminded Steenhuisen that former president Nelson Mandela had fired his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as deputy minister in 1995, and in 2007 former president Thabo Mbeki dismissed then deputy minister Nosizwe Madlala-Routledge for similar violations.
Ramaphosa said he was taken aback by Steenhuisen’s reaction when he knew very well that blatant disregard of the rules and practices that governed the international travel of members was a serios violation.
“It is unprecedented in the history of our democracy that the exercise by the president of his constitutional prerogative and responsibility with respect to a clear violation of rules and established practices governing the conduct of members of the executive has met with such irresponsible and unjustifiable threats and ultimatums from a member of the executive,” he said
The DA has given Ramaphosa 48 hours to act against the ANC leaders, which it believes have been more ill-disciplined than Whitfield.
It will hold a briefing on Saturday to inform the country of its next move.
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