Last week, we told you President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield – a DA member – for taking an unauthorised trip to the US.
The fallout since has added additional tensions within the Government of National Unity (GNU).
The DA responded with a 48-hour ultimatum: if Ramaphosa could fire Whitfield, he should also fire ANC ministers facing serious allegations. These include Thembi Simelane (VBS scandal), David Mahlobo (State Capture) and Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, implicated in the Seta drama.
The DA argued Whitfield had requested permission for his trip and followed up repeatedly, receiving no reply. He later sent a letter of apology.
Ramaphosa confirmed the sacking was his prerogative, adding that Whitfield himself had anticipated being fired. He said Whitfield’s “perfunctory” apology showed he knew he’d breached protocol.
After the deadline passed, the DA announced it would withdraw from August’s planned National Dialogue and vote against the budgets of “corruption-accused” ministers. It also laid criminal charges against Nkabane for misleading Parliament.
“This wasn’t just an indiscretion,” said DA federal chair Helen Zille. “Misleading Parliament is fraud, which is a criminal contravention.”
Analysts say the incident suggests ANC factions are asserting dominance in the GNU, testing how much pushback they’ll get from the DA. And the answer seems: not much. The DA didn’t even threaten to walk from the GNU over this particular fight.
Still, the incident has added unnecessary strain to the GNU.
As we wrote this week, the latest drama is just the ANC shooting itself in the foot over a non-issue, and both sides can learn a thing or two from Zorhan Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democrat running for mayor of New York.
Read more here.
