Battle lines drawn between GNU bedfellows

DA believes Andrew Whitfield was fired because he was opposed to certain lucrative tenders

- BONGANI HANS

THE government will continue to function should the DA decide to leave the Government of National Unity (GNU) as the ANC will invite other parties, which are represented in parliament.

That's the view of political analyst Tessa Dooms who said even if the DA were to leave the 10-party GNU, the ANC would bring in eight other parties to replace it.

But it became clear during a press briefing yesterday that John Steenhuisen, the leader of the DA had no intention of announcing his party’s departure from the GNU.

"If the ANC wants to kick the DA out for fighting against corruption, well, so be it," said Steenhuisen.

Instead the DA will intensify its pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire the ANC’s Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, and Water and Sanitation deputy minister David Mahlobo, who he accused of underperforming and corruption.

Steenhuisen said this would prove that Ramaphosa was not being biased when he fired DA MP Andrew Whitfield, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

The latest fallout between the DA and Ramaphosa follows Whitfield’s removal this week following his unapproved visit to the United States.

Steenhuisen had given Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to rescind his decision on Whitfield, but it did nothing to change Ramaphosa's mind.

He called on Ramaphosa to replace Whitfield with a capable DA MP, who could continue to deliver and service the department.

Speaking in Cape Town yesterday, he said that the DA would boycott the National Dialogue, which Ramaphosa launched to unite the country after last year’s national elections.

While the DA will remain in the GNU, Steenhuisen said it would protest against corruption by voting against the budget votes of the departments that are led by alleged corrupt ministers.