Earlier yesterday, a breaking news story hinted at a potential cabinet reshuffle by Ramaphosa. The news suggested that the president would dismiss at least one deputy minister from the DA.
Well, folks, we now know that there isn’t a reshuffle planned but that Andrew Whitfield, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), has been let go from his position in what is looking like a targeted firing. Whitfield is a member of the DA, which is part of the Government of National Unity.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Mangwenya stated that the president had removed Whitfield in terms of Section 93(1) of the Constitution, which governs the hiring and firing of deputy ministers by the president.
“The president has thanked the former deputy minister for the time he served in the role. However, the president has not indicated any intention to conduct a wholesale cabinet reshuffle,” Magwenya said. 👀
While the presidency gave no official reasons for the dismissal, it might be linked to a trip to Washington, US, Whitfield took in March this year. The trip, in his capacity as a DA leader, was the Blue Party’s attempt to mend fences with the Trump administration, ahead of the government’s later official visit. Whitfield’s inclusion on the trip, however, was apparently done without the president’s approval.
In response to Ramaphosa’s decision, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille called for an urgent federal executive meeting on Thursday to discuss the move.
When asked why he was fired, Whitfield replied: “Good question – only the president can answer that”.
Initially, it was believed that the potential reshuffle was fueled by the ongoing drama with Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s controversial appointment of chairs to the Sector Education and Training Authority boards.
Whitfield’s axing comes a year after the formation of the GNU, and a “highly placed“ source told The Citizen that Whitfield’s firing had rattled DA MPs, with many seen “walking in and out of council meetings.”
The firing comes at a tricky time for the DTIC, as it’s battling allegations of awarding the contentious eight-year lottery operator contract to a company linked to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s family, as we noted above. It’s also alleged that Whitfield and DTIC Minister Parks Tau have a strained relationship.
Will the GNU hold this time?
The DA will meet later on Thursday to discuss the issue. We’ll be watching this developing story and keeping you updated.
