DA must decide if they want to opposition inside GNU
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
JOHANNESBURG - Will the Government of National Unity go its full five years?
Disagreements and differences in policy have always placed it on precarious ground.
The DA has withdrawn from President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue.
This was after he axed Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Andrew Whitfield.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
36 minutes ago
- Daily Maverick
Andrew Whitfield returns to Nelson Mandela Bay to coordinate an outright win in the 2026 elections
Axed deputy minister of trade and industry, Andrew Whitfield, says he is returning to Nelson Mandela Bay to coordinate the Democratic Alliance's campaign for the local government elections in 2026 with the aim of winning an outright majority in the metro. He headed a historic campaign in the city in 2016, which saw the DA for the first time winning outright control of the metro, with Athol Trollip as mayoral candidate. Former deputy trade and industry minister, Andrew Whitfield, has described the timing of his axing by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 25 June as 'very curious'. In an interview with Daily Maverick over the weekend, Whitfield said that while he respects the President's sanction, he still has many questions about his dismissal. Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO, Denise van Huyssteen, said Whitfield's sudden axeing caused political instability in the metro at a time the economy is under immense strain and business confidence is needed. Whitfield, who serves as the DA leader in the Eastern Cape, was due to hold talks with the Chamber on Monday, 30 June. According to a statement issued by Ramaphosa on Friday, 27 June: '[Whitfield] was removed as a Deputy Minister because he undertook an international visit without the permission of the President.' Ramaphosa added that there is precedent for this sanction. 'His travel to the United States was a clear violation of the rules and established practices governing the conduct of members of the executive. This requirement is known to all ministers and deputy ministers,' Ramaphosa said. Extensive travel Whitfield told Daily Maverick his first question about his dismissal is why Ramaphosa waited for four months before saying or doing anything about the visit to the US. Whitfield said he had travelled extensively over the past year; and he had always received an answer for a travel request from Ramaphosa's office within days. Whitfield said he didn't always like the answers – one decision, for example, declined him an opportunity to take part in a course at Harvard University in the US, funded by himself. However, he pointed out, he always respected the President's decisions and had complied with them to the letter. 'Going to Harvard would have been an extraordinary opportunity for me. I however decided not to go when the President declined this trip.' He said he had asked for permission to go on a DA-funded trip to Washington in the United States, scheduled for four months ago. 'I am a senior leader in the party and I understand the local trade agreement,' he said. For the first time, however, he received no answer from the office of the President when he requested permission to go on the trip. He said he made several requests and follow-ups for 10 days preceding the trip. He then went on the trip treating Ramaphosa's silence 'as consent'. Whitfield added that Ramaphosa's sanction was disproportionate if compared to other ministers whose unauthorised travel was met with the sanction of having their salaries docked. He added that several of the ANC ministers currently face much more serious allegations but are still serving in the Cabinet. 'I am not disputing the President's legal authority to discipline me,' he said. 'I accept my sanction.' However, he said, the time lapse, the lack of consultation on the side of the President and the severity of the sanction baffled him as to what the motive could be. Whitfield said he would now turn his attention to coordinating the DA's local government campaign in Nelson Mandela Bay to win the metro with an outright majority for the party. In 2016 when the DA succeeded in winning a majority in the metro, he headed the campaign of Athol Trollip, then the DA leader in the region, but who has subsequently joined Action SA.. He joined Trollip's team running the city in 2016 as mayoral committee member for economic development, tourism and agriculture and, after Trollip was removed as mayor by a motion of no confidence, Whitfield returned to the Parliament in 2019. The motion of no confidence against Trollip is currently the subject of a criminal court case involving the Nelson Mandela Bay ANC secretary-general Luyolo Nqakula. Nqakula is among those accused of manipulating a tender and using kickbacks to pay bribes promised to former DA councillors Mbulelo Manyathi, Trevor Louw and Neville Higgins, to vote for a motion of no confidence in Trollip. Whitfield said he believed the party had an extraordinary candidate in former mayor Retief Odendaal and a strong foundation that would help the DA win next year's local government elections. Local government 'Eventually everything does come back to the local government level,' he said. 'If you can fix the economy of Nelson Mandela Bay, you can fix the economy of the Eastern Cape.' 'To serve in the executive branch of our Government of National Unity [GNU] has been a unique honour with many ups and downs,' he said. During his tenure Whitfield was praised by the manufacturing industry in Nelson Mandela Bay for his work on a regulatory review to cut down red tape, with new legislation in the pipeline. He played a key role in ensuring that block exemption on ports and rail be extended to a minimum of 15 years in order to enable private-sector investment. Whitfield has a long track record in the metro where he served as the youth leader for the DA in 2010, an elected councillor in 2010 and a member of Parliament in 2014. He currently serves as the DA's leader in the Eastern Cape. Whitfield added that he had a fruitful time as deputy minister and had a strong working relationship with Minister Parks Tau whose work ethic he admired. He said he doubted his axing was prompted by his asking questions about the new Lotto contract as his involvement there 'ended over six months ago. I was being excluded.' Metro instability The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO, Denise van Huyssteen, said Whitfield's sudden axeing caused political instability in the metro at a time when the economy is under immense strain and business confidence is needed. 'We were very concerned about the sudden termination of Whitfield,' she said. 'It is understood that Whitfield and his team were due in Nelson Mandela Bay today for an urgent meeting with the Business Chamber.' The meeting was due to be held on Monday, 30 June. 'This has prompted concerns around the stability of the political environment. This also comes at a time when the country's economy is already under immense strain due to geo-political shifts, global manufacturing footprint re-allocations, logistics inefficiencies and service delivery challenges at a municipal level. 'A stable political environment is fundamental in stimulating business confidence and economic stability in the country. 'It is absolutely vital that the Government of National Unity remains intact in order to drive the retention and attraction of much needed investment and employment to South Africa,' she said. DA's response to dismissal On Thursday, 26 June, DA leader John Steenhuisen said in Parliament that he was informed by Ramaphosa of his decision to dismiss Whitfield a mere three hours before a letter was sent to the former deputy minister. Steenhuisen added that Whitfield subsequently wrote to the President to apologize if his going on the USA trip without authorisation caused offence. He added that the 'drastic unilateral action' against Whitfield is a 'product of a flagrant double standard'. Steenhuisen then gave Ramaphosa 48 hours to dismiss these ministers as well. Ramaphosa did not. On Saturday, 28 June, the DA announced that it was withdrawing from Ramaphosa's national dialogue and also said it will vote against the budgets of departments headed up by ministers they believe Ramaphosa should remove from his Cabinet. DM
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
SASCO demands Nkabane's removal over SETA, NSFAS scandals
The South African Students Congress (SASCO) has intensified pressure on Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, demanding her immediate removal over concerns about poor leadership and controversial appointments to key education bodies. Speaking at the ANC's Luthuli House on Sunday, SASCO president Alungile Kamtshe launched a scathing critique of Nkabane, accusing her of incompetence and arrogance. He said SASCO would use the next 30 days to outline seven grievances against the minister. 'This minister has undermined the public intelligence,' Kamtshe declared. 'She's the only one that's clever; everyone is stupid, but to the observation by South Africans, it is clear that this minister is not fit for office.' Kamtshe also criticised Nkabane's refusal in Parliament to reveal the advisory panel responsible for appointing Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairs. The controversy, coupled with allegations of politically driven appointments, has raised concerns about governance in the sector. Opposition parties and education stakeholders accuse Nkabane of appointing ANC-linked individuals to key roles within SETA, leading to operational delays and weakening accountability structures. The Democratic Alliance and others have submitted complaints to the Office of the Public Protector. Kamtshe urged swift action on SETA board appointments, warning of the dangers of prolonged delays. 'Every minute that there is a delay in appointing these boards, it provides SETA executives with unfitted powers due to minimal accountability,' he said. SASCO also called for a complete overhaul of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board, alleging corruption and improper procedures in its formation. 'We declare that the board is illegal, considering its appointment has been flawed throughout,' Kamtshe said. Kamtshe appealed directly to the higher education portfolio committee, urging them to defend students' interests. 'We call upon the portfolio committee members to take the NSFAS board matter into serious regard and take the students' interests and place them at the centre,' he stated. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Political tensions rise as Mbalula defends ANC's position in coalition government
ANC secretary general has slammed the DA saying they can leave the GNU if they wanted to. Image: Facebook/MyANC ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has challenged the Democratic Alliance (DA) to withdraw from the Government of National Unity (GNU) following the party's threats to boycott the upcoming National Dialogue. This confrontation comes in the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent dismissal of former deputy minister Andrew Whitfield, who allegedly undertook an unauthorised trip to the United States. DA leader John Steenhuisen, addressing the media on Saturday slammed Ramaphosa's decision, claiming it was indicative of President Ramaphosa's inconsistent approach to governance while also "threatening to destabilise the GNU unless all so-called delinquent ministers are removed from their positions within 48 hours. However Mbalula who was speaking during the 3rd day of the OR Tambo Regional Conference in the Eastern Cape on Sunday stated that the GNU is not a permanent feature but a temporary partnership among all the coalition parties. Mbalula stated that the ANC and its President will not be bullied and disrespected by the DA and its leaders who continuously threaten to destabilise the GNU. "When the Government of National Unity was formed with the ten political parties, it was not a permanent feature. So, we will not allow for our President to be disrespected by his deputy ministers. "Even Nelson Mandela fired his own wife. My mother Winnie Nomzamo Madikizela Mandela. Mandela took him out of the cabinet. Thabo Mbeki as president also did the same when he fired Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge. We can't then be disrespected by a small boy who is being protected by the DA. We are not in a marriage with the DA but we are in a coalition," he said. Mbalula who addressed delegates to one of the party's biggest regions in the Eastern Cape, the OR Tambo Region- which is one of the most influential ANC regions in the country said that those who had accused the ANC of selling out when it partnered with the DA in the GNU would soon realise that the ANC has an upper hand in the coalition. "They must know one thing. We are not at the mercy of the DA. We are in this coalition because we respected the outcomes of the elections and the interests of the people of South Africa. That is why we have characterised this as a strategic setback. "It is not a permanent feature. The GNU is not a melting pot. We did say that there are ten political parties in the GNU and the DA did not want this. Now, I see why they did not want this as they wanted to squeeze us and put us in a corner, but we turned the tables around and we put them in our own trap. Now they are in a deeper trap," he added.
