President Cyril Ramaphosa is planning to kick the can down the road in reshuffling Cabinet as requested by the DA.
This is because he does not want to create an impression that he dances to the tune of the DA.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa decrees that only Ramaphosa possesses the prerogative to hire and fire ministers.
The DA has requested Ramaphosa to fire Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, among others, as the party’s internal factional battle spills over into the Government of National Unity.
While newly minted DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the changes were intended to strengthen the DA’s contribution to government and better reflect the mandate it received from voters in the 2024 elections, insiders in the Presidency say the announcement has caused unease because Ramaphosa had not yet indicated how he intended to deal with the request.
What compounded the matter was the DA’s decision to communicate its request to the public before Ramaphosa could consider and accede to the organisation’s request.
A source familiar with discussions within the Presidency said Ramaphosa is in no rush to act on the DA’s proposals and is wary of creating the impression that coalition partners can dictate executive appointments.
“The President does not plan to entertain this DA matter at the moment,” the source said.
“The biggest concern is not necessarily that a request was made. Parties are entitled to make recommendations. The concern is that the DA publicly announced an entire restructuring before receiving a response from the President.
“The President had not even indicated how he would approach the matter. By going public first, it creates the impression that the decision has already been taken.”
The source said there is concern within the Presidency that acting immediately on the proposals could create the perception that the DA is directing the President or determining the composition of the national executive.
“If the President simply acts after such an announcement, it looks as though they are telling him what to do and that they are pulling the strings,” the source said.
The source stressed that while the GNU operates through cooperation between coalition partners, the constitutional authority to appoint and dismiss ministers ultimately remains vested in the President.
“The President has all the powers. It is his constitutional prerogative to determine who serves in the executive and whether ministers are performing. Those powers are not subject to directives from coalition partners, lobby groups or opposition parties.”