Fireworks are expected when the Democratic Alliance (DA) announces its decision regarding its future in the Government of National Unity (GNU) on Saturday afternoon.
This announcement is to be made during a media briefing at 3pm, following the expiry of its 48-hour ultimatum to President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire three of his Cabinet members immediately, like he sacked DA’s Andrew Whitfield as the deputy minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
The ANC MPs that the DA wants Ramaphosa to fire from his Cabinet within 48 hours are Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, and Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo.
The 48 hours would expire on Saturday.
“The DA will brief the media and South Africa at the expiry of the 48-hour ultimatum given to President Ramaphosa to remove compromised and corrupt ministers from his National Executive.
“The DA briefing will address the way forward for the DA and the Government of National Unity,” read the statement released on Friday afternoon.
Among those who will brief the media would be DA leader John Steenhuisen, DA Federal Chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer, and Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille.
The party’s Federal Council held a meeting to discuss Whitfield’s removal on Thursday.
It accused Ramaphosa of keeping the three despite being associated with poor performances and corruption.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, had not yet responded to questions on whether his principal would succumb to the DA’s pressure.
The DA was aggrieved that Ramaphosa fired Whitfield for travelling to the United States of America without his approval, although Whitfield had apologised for this trip.
In reaction to Ramaphosa’s action, Steenhuisen, who is the GNU’s Agriculture Minister, wrote a letter to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza on Thursday threatening Ramaphosa.
“Make no mistake about it: what happens next is entirely on the ANC and President Ramaphosa.
“Should the ANC fail to meet our ultimatum, all bets are off and the consequences will be theirs to bear,” he said.
Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa informed him about his decision against Whitfield on Wednesday before the Cabinet meeting.
“I requested 24 hours to speak to Whitfield and my party. However, before I could even do so, just three hours later, Whitfield received a letter informing him of his removal.”
He said on February 12, Whitfield wrote to Ramaphosa requesting permission to travel to the United States, as required by the Ministerial Handbook.
“Ten days later, he had still not received any response from the Presidency, and departed on the trip.
“Whitfield subsequently wrote to the president to apologise if it caused offence,” he said.
He said Whitfield was fired for not getting a response to seeking permission to travel, while Simelane remains in Cabinet despite being implicated in the VBS looting, and Nkabane, who misled Parliament over an attempt to deploy corrupt cadres to Sector Education and Training Authority boards.
“Serial underperformers, as well as people implicated in state capture, continue to sit around the Cabinet table.
“Mahlobo is implicated in the most serious corruption by the State Capture Commission, yet he continues in the position as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation,” said Steenhuisen.
University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst, Sakhile Hadebe, suggested that Ramaphosa should retain the DA in the now-vacant deputy ministerial position to calm the waters.
He said, irrespective of whether the parties in the GNU had agreed on whether the president should use his discretion in appointing and firing, by law, he should not consult.
“However, for political reasons, especially in this (GNU) arrangement, the president should have consulted well if it is part of their agreement,” said Hadebe.
