SA Politics Thread Part 12

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TheChamp said:
I did say I wasn't sure mos? And what exactly does the DA winning or not winning KZN have anything to do with the conversation I was having with Mustafa before you stumbled in?
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The great thing about a public forum is that I can stumble into any conversation to inform someone they are being a domkop
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Did a lot of driving around today. Never saw so many municipal workers in Joburg working like this before. Cleaning up, cutting grass, painting road markings etc. I wonder why...
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Does it feel like the 2010 world cup when there were so many cops everywhere because ANC didn't want to get embarrassed with crime stories?
 
Mariner said:
Maybe you should read Section 2 of the South African Constitution, The Bill of Rights, Para 35:

Arrested, detained and accused persons

35. (1) Everyone who is arrested for allegedly committing an offence has the right—

(a) to remain silent;

(b) to be informed promptly—
(i) of the right to remain silent; and
(ii) of the consequences of not remaining silent;

(c) not to be compelled to make any confession or admission that could be used in evidence against that person;
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Maybe they did.
 
Dr. Dion George of the DA has lost his ministerial post after he refused a request from John Steenhuisen, DA leader, to be demoted to a deputy ministerial post.

Rapport can reveal that Steenhuisen wanted George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, to serve in the position of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. The position has been vacant since June 26 when President Cyril Ramaphosa removed the DA’s Andrew Whitfield for travelling overseas without permission.

If George had agreed to Steenhuisen’s request, the initial plan was to promote Dr. Ivan Meyer, Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, to George’s ministerial post.

However, Meyer also declined Steenhuisen’s invitation, prompting Steenhuisen to appoint Willie Aucamp, one of the DA’s two national spokespersons, as the new Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

DA MP Alexandra Abrahams will now become the deputy minister of trade, industry and competition.

Rapport learns that these changes were approved at a meeting of the DA's federal executive on Wednesday evening, with the changes already sent to Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday evening for approval and to make the changes to his cabinet.

It is unknown what the official reason for George's dismissal is and he referred all inquiries to Steenhuisen yesterday. Steenhuisen also did not want to comment.

Other media reported about dissatisfaction with George's work in his portfolio, but this was not mentioned to Rapport.

George will now serve as an ordinary MP again. His salary will now be reduced from about R2.7 million per year to R1.3 million.

Steenhuisen apparently proposed to George about two weeks ago to fill in as deputy minister at the department of trade, industry and competition.

Given his background as federal chair of the DA's finance affairs between 2020 and 2023, he was seen by party sources as a logical choice for this important portfolio due to his financial background.

However, it was clear from the outset that George viewed the demotion as a slap in the face. Sources describe his reaction as “furious” when he was informed of Steenhuisen's plans.

“He sees it as a demotion, but it's actually a critical portfolio to work in, regardless of whether you are there as a deputy,” says one senior DA source on condition of anonymity.

George dutifully continued with his work this past week and, among other things, traveled to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where he was a speaker at a wildlife summit.

Meyer’s promotion to cabinet was also seen as a logical choice because he is a popular federal chairperson of the party – one of the party’s top three leadership positions – who has served in the party’s leadership structures since 2015.
Dr. Ivan Meyer, Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism.

However, he “politely declined” Steenhuisen’s offer. This action is also not seen as a protest because he is an important member of the Western Cape government’s executive branch.

George and Meyer’s refusal of Steenhuisen’s request has now paved the way for Steenhuisen to promote Aucamp. Aucamp is a confidant of Steenhuisen and has been one of the DA’s two national spokespersons since July last year, along with Karabo Khakhau.

As an MP, he also served on the portfolio committee on agriculture, land reform and rural development, as well as Parliament’s rules committee. Aucamp is also a game farmer and has been involved in wildlife conservation for more than
20 years. He previously served on the National Council of Provinces as a member from the Northern Cape.

Aucamp will now also have to be replaced as national spokesperson for the DA. The expectation is that the new candidate will have to be Afrikaans-speaking.

Abrahams, Steenhuisen’s new choice as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, has been a DA MP since 2019 and served as Steenhuisen’s spokesperson on social development from 2020 to 2024 when the DA was still an opposition party.

Alexandra Abrahams, the DA’s new choice for the position of deputy minister of trade, industry and competition.

She was also a member of parliament’s joint committee on constitutional review and, like Meyer, is from the Western Cape.

Abrahams’ constituencies have included Goodwood, Parow and parts of Bishop Lavis in the past.

In her new portfolio, she will work with the ANC's Zuko Godlimpi as deputy minister under Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and also of the ANC, the
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wingnut771 said:
Why is the DA advocating for useless pointless deputy minister positions? What happened to leading by example?
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They are not advocating for the positions - it's part of the agreement that the ANC and DA signed. They can advocate for no DM positions but then it will be filled by either the ANC or an ANC-adjacent party most likely, diluting DA influence.
 
The_Right_Honourable_Brit said:
They are not advocating for the positions - it's part of the agreement that the ANC and DA signed. They can advocate for no DM positions but then it will be filled by either the ANC or an ANC-adjacent party most likely, diluting DA influence.
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He has a point though. They're willing participants of the XXXXXL government. They could take a principled stance by refusing deputies at the very least. They can technically argue they didnt the size of the government before it was announced but they should have done something once they realized the ballooning.
 
R13... said:
He has a point though. They're willing participants of the XXXXXL government. They could take a principled stance by refusing deputies at the very least. They can technically argue they didnt the size of the government before it was announced but they should have done something once they realized the ballooning.
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Yes, I support cutting the cost of government in SA - especially the bloated cabinet, however, the DA did not win the elections and therefore they had to compromise.
 
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