News24 | Ramaphosa to reshuffle Cabinet, drops DA deputy minister

President Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce changes to his Cabinet, dropping at least one DA deputy minister from the executive, according to sources.

News24 has reliably learnt that Andrew Whitfield, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition is among those who have already received the presidential letter thanking them for their service, which has now been terminated.

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It is understood that the reshuffle was triggered by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s debacle over the controversial appointment of chairs of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards.

There have been calls for Ramaphosa to fire Nkabane over the saga, including from respected academic, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, who described Nkabane as a disgrace and an embarrassment.

Ramaphosa may be using this opportunity to rejig his executive, although he is likely to butt heads with the DA over this development. During government of unity (GNU) negotiations, the party fought hard for a DA member to serve in the trade and industry portfolio.

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Neither Whitfield nor DA leader John Steenhuisen were available for comment on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the DA called an urgent federal executive (FedEx) meeting following Whitfield’s axing.

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille announced that she has convened an urgent meeting of the FedEx for Thursday afternoon, following the president’s actions around the composition of the national executive of the GNU.

“The DA’s federal executive will meet later today and the DA will give further comment thereafter,” said Zille.

READ | Ramaphosa wants ‘chewing’ minister to account for her behaviour, SETA board appointments

On Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni was asked about the reshuffle during a post-Cabinet press briefing in Cape Town.

She did not want to confirm it, but did not deny it.

“There’s a saying that a turkey has no say on Christmas. Meaning that I’m a minister, if there’s a reshuffle, I’m equally affected. I will not know whether there’s a reshuffle or not until I’m called to say you are being reshuffled. In terms of the Constitution of the Republic, the president exercised power in two forms.

“There’s a power that he exercised collectively with his Cabinet, and there’s a power that he exercises alone as the president. The decision to appoint, or to remove or reshuffle ministers and deputy ministers, is the sole prerogative of the president. He exercises that without consulting anyone, but that is his sole decision. If Cabinet appointments are Christmas, I’m precluded from talking about Christmas,” she said.