DA still mum on axed Andrew Whitfield's replacement

THE DA has yet to submit a replacement name to take over axed Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Andrew Whitfield, the Presidency confirmed on Thursday. 

Whitfield was shown the door with immediate effect last week for taking a trip to the US without Ramaphosa’s permission.

The reasons for the trip remain unclear, and both Whitfield and the DA did not respond to questions on Thursday. 

In dismissing Whitfield, Ramaphosa had noted that “his travel to the United States was a clear violation of the rules and established practices governing the conduct of Members of the Executive. This requirement is known to all Ministers and Deputy Ministers. These rules and established practices were expressly communicated to all members of the Executive during the induction sessions at the commencement of the 7th administration”.

Asked about Whitfield's intention for visiting the US  and how significant this was in the decision to remove him from cabinet, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya would only say: “The President has made his decision, the matter is done. There's no further explanation or debate that's going to alter that decision. The President is still waiting for a replacement name from the DA that he will consider.” 

The DA did not respond to questions on why Whitfield had travelled to the US and whether the party supported his trip.  

Weighing on the matter, international relations expert Siseko Maposa, from Surgetower Associates Management Consultancy, suggested that the trip may have been influenced by the strained relations between the United States and South Africa at the time, as well as the DA’s parallel attempts to negotiate independently, possibly through ex parte channels.

“We can certainly engage in speculation about the motivations behind Former Deputy Minister of DTIC Whitfield’s travels, particularly given the strained US-SA relations at the time and the DA’s parallel efforts to negotiate ex parte,” Maposa said. 

“One might even reasonably consider whether Ramaphosa deliberately ignored Whitfield's authorisation request precisely to deter the DA’s efforts aimed at gaining an independent diplomatic channel with the US administration – we can’t be sure.” 

He said the more substantive issue transcends party squabbles, it speaks to the 'erosion of statecraft' in South Africa.

“When deputy ministers traverse borders without authorisation, it undermines the coherence of governance and, ultimately, the sanctity of statehood itself. This shouldn’t be about ANC or the DA – it ought to be about whether South Africa’s leadership, across factions, grasps the gravity of disciplined state function. If the DA truly internalised this principle, its opposition to Ramaphosa’s decision would likely be more measured.

"Deeper still, this episode exposes the GNU’s fundamental flaw: a coalition pulling in opposing directions, lacking a shared framework for negotiation, and failing to distinguish between government (the act of holding office) and governance (the art of wielding it effectively). Until this disconnect is resolved, such incidents will remain symptoms of a system in disarray.”

Cape Times