‘Greatest political mistake’: Steenhuisen says Ramaphosa firing Whitfield was a ‘calculated assault’

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has warned that South Africa’s future is at risk following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s dismissal of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Andrew Whitfield.

The announcement of Whitfield’s dismissal was made on Thursday.

This was due to Whitfield’s trip to the United States (US) earlier this year without the president’s approval – a decision made during a period of strained relations between South Africa and the US.

Whitfield’s removal could place the future of the government of national unity (GNU) in doubt once more.

Steenhuisen reacts to Whitfield sacking

Speaking during a National Assembly plenary session on Thursday, Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa had informed him shortly before Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that Whitfield would be removed as minister.

The DA leader said he had requested for 24 hours to speak to Whitfield and to inform his party about the developments.

“However before I could do so, just three hours later, Whitfield received a letter informing him of his removal,” Steenhuisen said.

He confirmed that the US trip was the reason for the “sudden ill-considered” decision to fire Whitfield.

Steenhuisen was then heckled by MPs, while MK party MP Brian Molefe asked why the DA leader was discussing an issue that was not on the agenda.

“The last time I checked, we were debating the Division of Revenue Bill,” Molefe said.

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While Parliament’s chair of chairs Cedric Frolick asked Steenhuisen to stick to the relevant topic, the agriculture minister insisted that he was setting a path of how the DA would vote on the Bill.

The Division of Revenue Bill sets out how government revenue is allocated among the national government, provinces and municipalities.

Steenhuisen argued that Whitfield had written to Ramaphosa requesting permission to travel to the US on 12 February.

However, 10 days later he had not received a reply or “any response whatsoever”.

“The facts of this matter contradict this flimsy reasoning,” the DA leader said.

Watch the plenary session below:

According to Steenhuisen, Whitfield subsequently wrote to the president to apologise if he had caused offence, but he received no response again.

“Then yesterday, months after the incident, and without a further word on it, the president unilaterally removed a DA deputy minister without even giving his largest coalition partner an opportunity to discuss it with the member or his party.

“According to the president’s spokesperson, this move is not part of a broader reshuffle and there can therefore be no other conclusion to be drawn that this is a calculated assault on the second largest party in the governing coalition,” he remarked.

Steenhuisen take swipes at Ramaphosa and ANC ministers

Steenhuisen further described Whitfield’s removal was “a product of a flagrant double standard” and listed ANC Cabinet ministers accused of questionable conduct.

“There are members in the Cabinet who are implicated in the VBS scandal and looting.

“There are members in the Cabinet despite apparently misleading Parliament over an attempt to deploy corrupt cadres to Seta [Sector Education and Training Authority] boards remains in the Cabinet,” Steenhuisen said.

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“Serial underperformers and people implicated in state capture continue to sit around the cabinet table.

“Now, instead of being summarily fired like Whitfield was, these ministers get an opportunity to submit a report to the president on their behaviour.

“In the past, even ministers who had serious public protective findings against them were merely admonished or had their pay docked. Yet a DA deputy minister is dismissed with the flimsiest of excuses.”

‘Hypocrisy at the highest form’

The minister claimed that Whitfield was succeeding in his job, asking “uncomfortable questions” about the controversial national lotteries licence tender, among other things.

“Now if this situation is not corrected, it will go down as the greatest political mistake in modern South African history.

“And so seeing the president is now ‘cleaning house’, I would like to suggest that he sweeps in front of his own doorstep before he sweeps in front of the DA’s doorstep.”

Steenhuisen emphasised that Ramaphosa’s decision is “hypocrisy at the highest form”.

“The ball is now in the president’s court and he must show us now that he is a man of his word.”

He indicated that the DA would ultimately vote in favour of the Bill “not for politics, but for South Africa”.

The DA leader called for the dismissal of ANC ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours.

“This is now the moment of truth.”

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