Steenhuisen gives Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has lashed out at President Cyril Ramaphosa over the removal of DA member Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

The DA has issued an ultimatum to Ramaphosa: that he fire Ministers Thembi Simelane and Nobuhle Nkabane, Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, and other corruption-accused cabinet officials within 48 hours or face the political fallout.

“If they fail to do so, the ANC will inflict grave consequences on South Africa. Make no mistake about it: what happens next is entirely on the ANC and President Ramaphosa. They did not have to do this. They triggered all of the events that follow,” Steenhuisen warned.

On 26 June 2025, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that the President had removed Whitfield, but did not give any explanation.

Steenhuisen called it a “calculated political assault” on the ANC’s largest coalition partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa put South Africa’s future at stake,” Steenhuisen told Parliament during a debate on the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill (DORA).

He revealed that Ramaphosa had informed him shortly before a Cabinet meeting on 25 June of his decision to remove Whitfield, allegedly offering Steenhuisen no chance to consult his party.

“I requested twenty-four 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.

According to Steenhuisen, Whitfield’s dismissal was justified by his failure to secure presidential permission before travelling to the US.

The DA said Whitfield undertook the week-long trip in his capacity as Eastern Cape party leader, not as a government representative, to discuss the country’s bilateral relations

However, Steenhuisen claimed that the President’s reasoning was unsubstantiated.

“On 12 February, Whitfield had written to the President requesting permission to travel to the United States, as required by the Ministerial Handbook,” said Steenhuisen.

“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. Again, he received no response.”

“Not consistent”

The DA leader slammed Ramaphosa’s move as unilateral and inconsistent, saying it was not even part of a broader Cabinet reshuffle.

“There is no other conclusion to be drawn than that this is a calculated political assault on the second-largest party in the governing coalition.”

He accused the President of applying a double standard in how ministers and deputy ministers are treated in the Government of National Unity (GNU), and launched a scathing tongue-lashing before Parliament.

“While a DA Deputy Minister is removed for not getting a response to seeking permission to travel, Thembi Simelane remains in Cabinet despite being implicated in the VBS looting,” said Steenhuisen.

“Nobuhle Nkabane remains in Cabinet despite apparently misleading Parliament over an attempt to deploy corrupt cadres to SETA boards.”

“Serial underperformers, as well as people implicated in state capture, continue to sit around the Cabinet table.”

“David 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. Yet a DA Deputy Minister is dismissed with the flimsiest of excuses?”

Steenhuisen alleged that Whitfield’s dismissal was connected to his efforts to block corruption within a department already facing serious allegations.

He claimed Whitfield had been effective in his role, resisting questionable appointments and obstructing what he described as looming looting linked to the Transformation Fund, all within a ministry embroiled in tender-related scandals involving the National Lottery.

“Given this flagrant double standard, one is left with no choice but to conclude that hardworking DA Members of the Executive are now being fired for fighting corruption, not for committing corruption.”

He is now demanding that several ANC-linked ministers implicated in corruption be fired within 48 hours.

Despite the tension, the DA voted in favour of the bill before Parliament, allowing the budget process to proceed, saying they “put South Africa’s interests over narrow politics.”