Cape Town – Former deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, Andrew Whitfield, has criticized his dismissal as an “unnecessary provocation” that could threaten the fragile unity within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU).
Whitfield believes the move — allegedly linked to an unauthorised overseas trip taken four months ago — is disproportionate and inconsistently enforced, especially since he had acknowledged the transgression in writing but received no response from the Presidency.
“I think it’s an unnecessary provocation on an issue that could have been resolved earlier and secondly, differently,” EWN quoted him as saying.
The Presidency confirmed the removal of Whitfield from his role on Thursday.
WATCH: It is now confirmed that Andrew Whitfield the Deputy minister of Trade Industry and Competition from the DA has been axed from the cabinet. pic.twitter.com/B3TYfTNLoU
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) June 26, 2025
President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked Whitfield for his service.
“The President has thanked the former deputy minister for the time he served in the role,” the presidency said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has condemned the axing, with party leader John Steenhuisen calling it a “calculated assault” by President Ramaphosa.
The DA has now given Ramaphosa an ultimatum to fire ministers implicated in corruption within a day, though it hasn’t specified what action it will take if he fails to comply.
“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.
“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.”
Steenhuisen asserted that Whitfield was performing well in his role, highlighting that he had been posing “uncomfortable questions” regarding the contentious national lotteries licence tender, among other issues.
“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.”
Despite the controversy, the DA confirmed it would support the Division of Revenue Bill for the country’s sake.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
