President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated a reconfiguration of his Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet, beginning with the removal of Democratic Alliance (DA) Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Andrew Whitfield, from his position on Thursday, 26 June 2025.
The Presidency confirmed the move, with spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stating: “The Presidency can confirm that in terms of section 93(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed the Hon. Andrew Whitfield, MP from the position of Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition. The president has thanked the former deputy minister for the time he served in the role.”
However, Magwenya added that he was “not aware of a wholesale Cabinet reshuffle”, suggesting that further changes may not be imminent.
The sudden removal of Whitfield has triggered speculation and concern, particularly within the DA. DA national spokesperson Willie Aucamp described Whitfield’s axing as “a very serious development”.
“The Federal Executive of the DA will meet to discuss this matter, and we will communicate our position in due course,” Aucamp added.
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.
When asked to comment on the reasons behind Whitfield's removal, Magwenya declined to answer. Whitfield himself, when questioned about his dismissal, responded: “Good question – only the president can answer that question.”
The bargaining of positions in Cabinet was a key issue before the formation of the GNU, with parties arguing they should be based on their share of votes.
Sources suggest that the reshuffle was triggered by the controversy surrounding Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s contentious appointment of chairs of Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards. Nkabane’s appointment last month of several ANC associates as chairpersons to Seta boards sparked an immediate furore from MPs who demanded answers in Parliament, as well as calls for her to be removed from her position.
Among the contentious appointees were Ramaphosa’s allies, former KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and former ANC deputy chairperson in KZN Mike Mabuyakhulu, along with Buyambo Mantashe, the son of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, Daily Maverick’s Siyabonga Goni reported.
The minister later withdrew the appointments “in response to public concerns” and announced a call for fresh nominations, adding that an independent panel would also be established to process the nominations and recommend candidates.
However, she initially refused to disclose the names of the independent panel members. This month, Ramaphosa requested that Nkabane report to him about her behaviour in Parliament and questionable Seta board appointments.
There have been increasing calls from members of the ANC to act against the DA for going against the ANC on various issues, including the Employment Equity Act, National Health Insurance, the Expropriation Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act.
At a press conference on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting of 25 June, on Thursday morning, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said she could not answer questions about the president’s Cabinet reshuffle.
“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, so I cannot answer the question on the reshuffle,” Ntshavheni said.
The removal of Whitfield raises questions about the stability of the GNU and the future of the DA's role within the coalition. The DA's response to this development will be closely watched in the coming days.
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