President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will not yield to threats with regard to how he exercises his prerogative when it comes to the hiring and firing of members of the Executive.
This follows an ultimatum by Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen that Ramaphosa should fire what he called 鈥渃ompromised ministers鈥 such as Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane and Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane within 48 hours.
The ultimatum follows the firing of DA member, Andrew Whitfield, in his capacity as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, on Thursday. The President says he fired Whitfield because he did not have permission to embark on a trip to the US.
Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya says, 鈥淚t must be made clear that the President will not yield to threats and ultimatums, especially coming from members of the executive that he has the prerogative to appoint in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of SA.鈥