![Eastern Cape DA Provincial Leader and Former Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield. [Business Tech]/ [SON] (your choice)](https://www.thepostnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Business-Tech_-Andrew-Whitfield.webp)
Eastern Cape DA Provincial Leader and Former Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield. [Business Tech]/ [SON] (your choice)
(The Post News)- The DA’s Federal Executive is expected to meet following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s removal of DA Member of Parliament Andrew Whitfield from his post as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. The move has sparked concern and speculation over the stability of South Africa’s newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU).
After days of speculation about a potential Cabinet reshuffle, the Presidency confirmed on Thursday, 26 June, that Whitfield had been removed from the executive. The move was made in terms of Section 93(1) of the Constitution, which gives the president the authority to appoint and dismiss members of the national executive.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni emphasized that the removal does not indicate a broader Cabinet reshuffle, stating that she was “not aware of a wholesale Cabinet reshuffle.”
DA national spokesperson Willie Aucamp described the development as “very serious,” while DA’s federal chairperson Helen Zille confirmed that the party’s top decision-making body would meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the implications and determine a response.
The removal is expected to further strain relations within the GNU, a coalition of 10 political parties formed after the 2024 general elections, in which no single party secured a majority. Although the DA and ANC are the two largest parties in the coalition, their relationship has been marked by ongoing tensions and a series of policy-related disputes. These include disagreements over key legislation such as the Employment Equity Amendment Act, the National Health Insurance Bill, and land reform measures—areas where the DA has often found itself at odds with the ANC’s policy direction.
Whitfield served as one of two deputy ministers in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), alongside Zuko Godlimpi. His removal leaves the GNU’s 75-member executive one deputy minister short.
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