By Simon Nare
President Cyril Ramaphosa has wielded the axe against senior coalition partner in the Government of National Unity, the Democratic Alliance. DA MP Andrew Whitfield has been sacked as the deputy minister of trade, industry and competition.
The Presidency confirmed in a terse statement on Thursday that Ramaphosa had in terms of Section 93 (1) of the Constitution removed Whitfield from the position and thanked him for the time he served.
“However, the president has not indicated any intention to conduct a wholesale cabinet reshuffle,” the statement read.
The move has resulted in DA Federal Council chairperson Hellen Zille convening an urgent meeting.
It also follows Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, lauding the GNU for sticking together in the face of hard lessons over the past year and displaying commitment to continue working together.
A reason for Whitfield’s dismissal was not given. Earlier this year, Whitfield, who is the party’s Eastern Cape leader, formed part of a DA delegation to the United States to stabilise diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Washington.
Ntshavheni told journalists that as the GNU celebrated its first-year anniversary, some political parties discovered that it was easy to be in the opposition compared to being in government where solutions should be found to the challenges facing the country.
The minister said it was humbling to see the commitment displayed by the 10 political parties that made up the GNU, even though there were differences and butting of heads in the process.
She singled out the budget process which had to be delayed after the DA launched a legal bid to have it declared null and void, citing unprocedural processes by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
“In the first year we had to deal with DA minister this, DA minister that and we had to clarify that there is no DA minister, it’s a government minister. We are now getting over that of minister of that party and minister of that party.
“We are now moving towards working together as government, accepting that the win of one is a win for us all. And also accepting that there is no one department that works without the support of the other,” she said.
She said there were instances where some ministers wanted to outshine ministers of other parties, but overall it had been a humbling experience over the last year where parties had to learn the art of consulting each other.
On the recent Cabinet meeting, Ntshavheni said the executive noted public concerns about the estimated budget for the National Dialogue and clarified that the reported figure has not yet been taken through the established government budgeting processes.
She said it has not even been considered by the Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Deputy President Paul Mashatile. She said Cabinet was fully cognizant of the current fiscal constraints.
On the Israel-Iran war, the minister said Cabinet was deeply concerned about the escalation of hostilities between the two states and airstrikes by the US in Iran.
“The ongoing attacks by both countries has led to loss of lives, casualties and destruction to property. Cabinet calls for an urgent de-escalation of hostilities, restraint and full compliance with international law by all parties to prevent further human suffering.
“Cabinet further calls on the USA, Israel and Iran to create room for constructive dialogue and give the United Nations the opportunity to lead the peaceful resolution of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran’s status on uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity,” she said.
INSIDE POLITICS