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Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said President Cyril Ramaphosa has 48 hours to fire Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane and Member of National Assembly David Mahlobo, following the sudden removal of its own Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Andrew Whitfield.

Steenhuisen warned that if the African National Congress (ANC) fails to meet the demands, it will result in grave consequences for South Africa.

"Make no mistake about it: what happens next is entirely on the ANC and President Ramaphosa. They did not have to do this. They triggered all of the events that follow.

Should the ANC fail to meet our ultimatum, all bets are off and the consequences will be theirs to bear," stated Steenhuisen.

He said shortly before Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, Ramaphosa informed him of his intention to remove Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, after which Steenhuisen said he requested 24 hours to speak to Whitfield and his party.

"However, before I could even do so, just three hours later, Whitfield received a letter informing him of his removal. The apparent reason for this sudden and ill-considered decision is that Whitfield did not obtain permission to travel abroad earlier this year," Steenhuisen said.

He described this as flimsy reasoning.

Whitfield wrote to Ramaphosa in February, requesting permission to travel to the US, as required by the Ministerial Handbook, however ten days later, he had still not received any response from the presidency, and departed on the trip, Steenhuisen revealed.

He said Whitfield subsequently wrote to Ramaphosa to apologise if it caused offence, again he received no response, he added.

"Then yesterday, months after the incident and without a further word on it, the President unilaterally removed a DA Deputy Minister without even giving his largest coalition partner the courtesy of discussing the issue. According to the President's spokesperson, this move is also not part of a broader reshuffle," he noted.

Steenhuisen claimed that there is no other conclusion to be drawn than that this is a "calculated political assault" on the second-largest party in the governing coalition.

"To make matters even worse, this drastic unilateral action appears to be the product of a flagrant double standard," he stated.

He noted hat while a DA Deputy Minister is removed for not getting a response to seeking permission to travel, Simelane remains in Cabinet despite being implicated in the VBS lotting.

"Nobuhle Nkabane remains in Cabinet despite apparently misleading Parliament over an attempt to deploy corrupt cadres to SETA boards. Serial underperformers, as well as people implicated in State capture, continue to sit around the Cabinet table. Instead of being summarily fired, Simelane was merely asked to submit a 'report' on the allegations against her to the President and moved to another portfolio," Steenhuisen said.

He also noted Mahlobo, who is implicated in corruption by the State capture commission.

The DA's Federal Executive will convene an urgent meeting on Thursday following Whitfield's axing.

DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille said the party would give further comment after its federal meeting.

The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) Federal Executive will convene an urgent meeting on Thursday following reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to make changes to his Cabinet.

According to media reports Ramaphosa is expected to cut a DA Deputy Minister from his Cabinet.

DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille said her party would give further comment after its federal meeting.

"I have convened an urgent meeting of the DA's Federal Executive today, following the actions of President Cyril Ramaphosa around the composition of the National Executive of the Government of National Unity," she said.

South Africa achieved its first back-to-back primary budget surplus in 16 years, signalling its commitment to fiscal discipline.

Africa's most-industrialised economy posted a primary surplus - where revenue exceeds non-interest expenditure - of R48.9-billion or 0.7% of gross domestic product in the year through March 2025, the South African Reserve Bank's Quarterly Bulletin on Thursday showed. That matched the National Treasury's May budget forecast, but missed its 2024 estimate of R61-billion.

"National government realised a primary surplus of R48.9-billion in fiscal 2024-25, which was higher than the surplus of R33-billion recorded in the previous fiscal year," the central bank said.

The government increased total revenue by R83.4-billion, to R1.8-trillion during the 2024-25 fiscal year on the back of increased tax collections across all the main categories, the bank said.

The National Treasury in its May budget forecast the primary surplus to grow over the next three years and anticipates the debt to GDP ratio to stabilise in 2025-26 at a higher level than previously estimated of 77.4%, largely because of slower growth because of geopolitical tensions from US President Donald Trump's trade war.

Over time these developments "should help contain the growth in debt-service costs, which currently absorb 22 cents of every rand, resources that could otherwise strengthen fiscal buffers and fund services such as health, education and security," Treasury's Director General Duncan Pieterse said in an opinion piece last month.

The surplus is likely to be viewed positively by investors and the government of national unity which delivered its first budget since its formation a year ago, after months of political wrangling over proposed tax increases.

The data also bodes well for South Africa's assets, which have had a high-risk premium because of the country's debt levels.

The primary budget balance has been South Africa's main fiscal anchor since 2021.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed from his position as deputy trade minister a politician from the Democratic Alliance (DA), a key coalition partner of Ramaphosa's party the African National Congress (ANC).

Ramaphosa's office added in a statement on Thursday that the president was not planning a wholesale cabinet reshuffle.

A spokesperson for the DA said Ramaphosa's decision to remove Andrew Whitfield from his post as deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister was "a very serious development," adding that the party's Federal Executive would meet later on Thursday to discuss the matter.

Ramaphosa's office did not say why Whitfield had been removed from the cabinet.

The ANC and DA are the two biggest parties in the coalition government formed last year after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in an election.

The two parties have clashed over this year's budget and government policies to address racial inequality that has persisted since the end of apartheid.

The DA will give its position on Whitfield's sacking after its leadership has met, DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp told Reuters.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) wants National Treasury to establish a multi-disciplinary team, including the Auditor-General's office, business, civil society, and labour, to ensure that the R27-billion loan from the World Bank aimed at expanding South Africa's electricity transmission infrastructure, is safe from corruption.

The loan is also said to help unlock key infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly in the energy and freight transport sectors, for inclusive economic growth and job creation.

The PSA said by preventing any stealing, the country would be saved from establishing costly commissions or proclamations for the Special Investigating Unit to investigate.

The PSA wants the funds to be ringfenced to improve energy security, enhance efficiency, and ensure competitiveness of freight transport services, as well as support the country's transition towards a low carbon economy.

"Whilst this significant investment should play a crucial role in addressing the country's energy challenges and unlocking economic growth, government does not have a good record in respect of financial and project management. National Treasury has not covered itself in glory when it comes to oversight," it said.

The PSA pointed to the looting of State resources, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Overpricing by service providers conspiring with politically connected persons seems to be the modus operandi for unduly benefiting from State coffers," it argued.

The association said National Treasury must ensure that there was value for money, as many projects had collapsed when massive amounts were involved, with no consequence management and recovery of stolen money.

The PSA said Treasury must ensure the investment is used to transform the infrastructure landscape.

"The impact of energy and freight transport sector challenges is well documented and has become a barrier to economic development that has caused suffering to many. This money is intended to unlock the country's stagnant economy. This investment should be aimed at opening employment opportunities, especially for the youth," it stated.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire, with immediate effect, Higher Education & Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, claiming "brazen" cadre deployment appointments to the boards of the Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (Seta).

The DA accused Nkabane of allegedly misleading Parliament, when she stated that the panel tasked with appointing the Seta board chairperson consisted of independent people, and subsequently informed Parliament that they were not independent at all.

The DA has accused Nkabane of lying to Parliament to try and cover up African National Congress (ANC) cadre deployment appointments to the boards.

In a letter addressed to Ramaphosa, DA Member on Portfolio Committee on Higher Education & Training Karabo Khakhau said once public pressure mounted, Nkabane made an effective admission to her infringements, by withdrawing the appointments.

"Mr. President, you have a lying Minister in your Cabinet, who has been caught red-handed. It is time for you to Fire Minister Nobuhle Nkabane with immediate effect, and to replace her with a Minister committed to making Higher Education work, not committed to making work for ANC insiders," she said.

Last week, the party filed a supplementary ethics complaint against Nkabane and announced its intention to escalate the matter to Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka.

The party accused Nkabane of allegedly misleading Parliament, and claims she lied to Parliament, violating the ethics code as a Minister.

"What followed was a series of lies. Her first lie to Parliament, to underplay her own involvement, was that an 'independent panel' had chosen the successful ANC cadres - deflecting attention from her.

"But the vague and evasive explanation demanded details, names and identities. Minister Nkabane was put on terms to come clean to Parliament and declare to the Portfolio Committee about who sat on this 'independent panel' and in her reply, Minister Nkabane once again lied. For a second time, she lied to Parliament," Khakhau stated.

She claimed that Nkabane abused the name of a senior legal expert Advocate Terry Motau, claiming that he chaired her independent panel.

"Adv. Motau exposed that Minister Nkabane was not telling the truth, and since then Nkabane has publicly declared that she was wrong about Motau," Khakhau pointed out.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) is considering a review of broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) measures to improve across a range of areas.

As he responded to questions in the National Council of Provinces, Ramaphosa admitted that more can be done around the policy, stating that government must constantly monitor goals achieved and where improvements can be made.

"The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act remains a fundamental lever for transformation, as part of our broader strategy to achieve more rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country. As I have said before, we must dispense with the false notion that we must make a choice between growth and transformation. Black economic empowerment is not only compatible with investment and growth, but is essential to achieve broad-based growth and prosperity," Ramaphosa asserted.

The dtic review aims to align with government's priorities of industrialisation, inclusive growth, localisation and access to finance for emerging enterprises.

Ramaphosa said the review would help improve the effectiveness of BBBEE implementation and close any gaps in this area, while setting deadlines and links between BBBEE and industrial policies.

"We need to ensure that our BBBEE policies support inclusive growth, just as we need to ensure that growth supports transformation. Our task is to strengthen BBBEE and ensure that it works effectively in promoting the participation of black people in our economy, not to abandon it," said Ramaphosa.

Lobby group AfriForum announced on Tuesday that it is taking steps to have warrants issued against former President and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) president Jacob Zuma, to seize his assets to cover his legal costs related to the 2023 medical parole case.

The group expressed concerns that almost two years after the Constitutional Court, Pretoria High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal ordered Zuma to cover AfriForum's legal costs, Zuma still owes the civil rights organisation more than R500 000.

AfriForum claimed that Zuma ignored the May 16 deadline to make payment.

Zuma served less than two months in prison in 2021 after refusing to testify before the Zondo Commission.

He was released on medical parole on August 16, 2021, but the granting of his parole was ruled as unlawful by the Constitutional Court in July 2023.

However, in October 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa granted Zuma a presidential pardon, which meant that his remaining prison sentence was scrapped.

Boshoff pointed out that because Zuma had evaded accountability, it would be unacceptable to allow him to get away without paying these legal costs.

"These steps follow a ruling by the Constitutional Court in 2023 that found that the granting of medical parole to Zuma was unlawful. The same case was previously heard before the Pretoria High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal and in both cases, costs were awarded to AfriForum. Almost two years later, AfriForum only received the legal costs for the case that was heard before the Constitutional Court, but not for the cases in the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal," said AfriForum spokesperson Louis Boshoff.

He said Zuma's so-called delay tactics had almost come to an end and that AfriForum would soon either have proof of payment to show or Zuma's assets would be seized to cover the costs.

"It is crucial that these legal costs are paid, because despite all the findings against him, Zuma has gotten away with minimal time behind bars and is now back at the helm of one of the largest political parties in the country. Whether Zuma is president of the ANC or the MK Party, the message remains the same: No politician is above the law," said Boshoff.

The GOOD Party said on Tuesday it will vote against a motion of no confidence to remove City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, arguing that while it does not endorse his leadership, Johannesburg needs stability and focus, "not more political theatre".

The party stated that another new mayor was not a governance model.

This week the Johannesburg Council will consider three motions of no confidence, brought by the Democratic Alliance (DA) against Morero, Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu and chief whip Sithembiso Zungu.

GOOD national chairperson and City of Johannesburg Councillor Matthew Cook believes that these motions have the potential to deepen the dysfunction in the city or create space for accountability and realignment.

"…it is a delicate moment for a city on the brink of collapse," he said.

Cook claimed that Johannesburg was a city in crisis, in desperate need of stable, ethical, and effective leadership.

While the GOOD Party will vote against the motion, Cook said his party had been sharply critical of Morero's performance.

"His tenure has been marked by grand promises and glossy speeches, but the lived reality for millions of Johannesburg residents tells a different story, one of worsening decay, prolonged service delivery backlogs, and shameful neglect of working-class communities. The City cannot be stabilised by speeches. It must be rebuilt through action, competence, and urgency," he explained.

He pointed out that Johannesburg had had no fewer than seven mayors in seven years, claiming that this "revolving door" of leadership had only accelerated the city's collapse.

Cook said while political reshuffles offered momentary satisfaction "for those trying to score political points", it did little to address service delivery.

"Our vote is not a blank cheque. It is a final warning. The Mayor must get his house in order, unify his coalition, and start delivering measurable improvements," stated Cook.

"Just in giving my reflections, I'd like to say that I have seen the future of the National Health Insurance (NHI), which is here. And more importantly, as I've been going around, talking to the doctors as well as the scientists, they are the ones who were saying to me, and the nurses, we are ready for NHI. And those who have been campaigning against NHI need to be brought here to see how NHI is going to work."

These were the words President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke during an oversight visit to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, where he noted that the technology on display was integral to driving good medical care.

Ramaphosa conducted a visit to Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI) Facility, a one-stop-shop medical imaging facility dedicated to cancer and tuberculosis drug development and imaging-based clinical research, housed at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

The facility, is a partnership between the Department of Health, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the University of Pretoria, with significant support from the private sector.

Ramaphosa said he was impressed to see that this was the only centre on the African continent that had this nuclear medicine capability, noting a high level of security at the facility.

"They've got this wonderful machine and the beauty about this machine is that they designed it themselves and then got the manufacturers to do it, like Siemens," he explained.

Ramaphosa noted the talent, engineering, knowledge and capability in the facility, to be able to produce such medical technology, while also applauding the cleaners and security at the hospital.

Ramaphosa noted referrals from private hospitals, arguing that this was proof that the hospital was a model for "all the good things".

"…and this is the future of what NHI is all about, because they would not be coming here if Steve Biko Academic Hospital was not as good as it is," he said, expressing satisfaction with research work done in the facility.

He pointed out diversity in the facility, with the rise in the number of women in senior key positions, which he said was impressive.

"And this is something that we need to celebrate. I have seen it in action here. That women run this facility, or a woman runs this facility, and other women run other facilities attached to this. That women are researchers, are professors, they are nurses, they are doctors," he said.