Steenhuisen gives President 48-hour ultimatum after trade deputy minister Andrew Whitfield fired
The Democratic Alliance wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire ANC Ministers and Deputy Ministers implicated in corruption within the next 48 hours.
The DA's Andrew Whitfield during his time as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition. Image: @the_dtic/X
The Money Show's Stephen Grootes is joined by political analyst and researcher Ralph Mathekga.
In a shock move, President Cyril Ramaphosa has fired the deputy minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Democratic Alliance's Andrew Whitfield.
The apparent reason for this 'sudden and ill-considered decision' is that Whitfield did not obtain permission to travel abroad earlier this year, the DA says in a statement.
Party leader John Steenhuisen lambasted Ramaphosa in Parliament on Thursday, accusing him of not applying the same standards to ANC ministers whose conduct has been called into question.
RELATED: Steenhuisen labels removal of Andrew Whitfield as a 'calculated assault' by Ramaphosa
He described Whitfield's removal as a 'calculated assault' and a 'flagrant double standard' by the President.
It's a difficult decision to explain says political analyst Ralph Mathekga, especially given that the trade portfolio is such an important one.
"It's at global level - we're talking about trade with international partners, trying to reset trade relations South Africa has with countries. like the US. And it's not as if the deputy minister has been engaging in some kind of transgression."
Ralph Mathekga, Political Analyst
"Knowing that this is a DA member I would have imagined the President should have been more circumspect. This puts a strain on the government of national unity."
Ralph Mathekga, Political Analyst
While it is within the President's discretion to fire appointees, he cannot actually take a decision like this arbitrarily, Mathekga says.
"He should be explaining why. This is a remarkable and significant shift in government and given that this is a GNU he has to explain it to other partners as well. Whitfield HAS been asking difficult questions; the DTIC has had to make difficult decisions around National Lottery allegations of corruption... perhaps it makes sense in that way to remove someone like this at a time like this."
Ralph Mathekga, Political Analyst
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