Presidency: Ramaphosa won't yield to threats and ultimatums
President Cyril Ramaphosa says he won’t bow down to threats in the wake of the DA's ultimatum over the axing of Andrew Whitfield.
On Thursday, DA leader John Steenhuisen gave Ramaphosa 48 hours to fire ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption or face the consequences.
The threat came just hours after Ramaphosa fired Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition for an unapproved DA-led trip to the United States.
In a statement, Ramaphosa says Steenhuisen and Whitfield were both informed about the decision.
He says the dismissal is in line with the rules, citing similar cases under Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.
The President says Steenhuisen was told to present a replacement for Whitfield.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says Whitfield’s trip was a clear breach of rules that apply to all ministers and deputies.
"It is unprecedented in the history of our democracy that the exercise by the President of his constitutional prerogative and responsibility concerning a clear violation of rules and established practices governing the conduct of Members of the Executive has met with such irresponsible and unjustifiable threats and ultimatums from a member of the executive."
Meanwhile, the DA's Karabo Khakhau says Ramaphosa is showing double standards by protecting certain ministers while claiming to fight corruption.
" There are double standards. The proof is that when the president says he is getting rid of Andrew for not having attained permission to travel, Andrew did write to the president 10 days before his departure. The president just never responded to him. When Andrew came back, the president never engaged him to indicate that he was not happy.
"And out of the blue, the president decided to fire him. That is completely different from having a case where he has ministers that he has sought to get reports from. Ministers who are defying Parliament, ministers who are under-performing, technically just occupying space, enjoying state funds that he's supposed to be getting rid of."
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