Zille vs Mbalula: How the DA’s ultimatum toppled Nkabane

The Democratic Alliance  (DA) has claimed a political win in the government of national unity (GNU) after President Cyril Ramaphosa removed the minister of higher education, Nobuhle Nkabane, a concession made under pressure after a bruising stand-off with DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille. 

The impasse escalated during a secretariat forum meeting last week, where Zille allegedly cornered ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula and held the party accountable for the breakdown in GNU consensus.

Party insiders said Zille confronted Mbalula over the dismissal of trade, industry and competition deputy minister Andrew Whitfield and warned that the DA would withhold support for key budget votes unless Ramaphosa removed Nkabane from her post for misleading parliament regarding board appointments at Sector Education and Training Authorities. 

“Gogo [Zille] cited clauses 18 and 19 of the GNU Statement of Intent, demanding equal treatment and application of coalition rules. She made it very clear to Fikile that the DA would not vote for a minister who misled parliament while the ANC expects compliance from every­one else,” a DA source close to the matter said, adding that Mbalula “had no real defence”.

Clause 18 of the coalition government agreement requires consensus in decision-making. Clause 19 defines sufficient consensus as agreement among the majority of the 10 parties in the governing pact. Zille allegedly argued that the ANC had consistently violated both clauses by taking decisions unilaterally without consulting the DA, despite decisions affecting them.

Whitfield was fired for travelling abroad without presidential approval. The DA has been arguing that Nkabane needed to be removed under the same standard and Ramaphosa finally caved on Monday.

The DA escalated its position after what it called repeated violations of GNU procedures by the ANC. This included the establishment of a so-called clearing house mechanism, which Zille argued had no legitimacy because since its inception it had never been used to resolve any disputes in the coalition.

The meeting came after Mbalula’s failed attempt to secure crucial budget votes from smaller parties, including ActionSA and Build One South Africa, with the former saying it refused to be used by the ANC whenever it was in trouble.

“We knew when he approached us that he had no choice and finally realised that we would get our way and justice for Whitfield, whose punishment was too much for the act he had done,” a senior DA source said.

“The axe now has to fall on Thembi Simelane, who we have been complaining about for many years. With the next phase of [budget] voting expected, the party is planning to push for the removal of Simelane. We cannot have corrupt ANC ministers in cabinet,” the DA source added.

“And when Justice [Mbuyiseli] Madlanga’s commission ends, we will call for Minister Senzo Mchunu’s head. This is just the beginning of our plan to uproot corruption, as we promised our voters when we joined the GNU.” 

Mchunu is under investigation for alleged political interference that led to the disbandment of the police task team set up to investigate political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. Last week, Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to be chaired by Madlanga, which will investigate what the president called “the infiltration of law enforcement, intelligence and associated institutions within the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates”.

After months of pressure, Ramaphosa in December removed Simelane as justice minister, redeploying her in the human settlements portfolio. Simelane is accused of receiving a R500  000 “loan” from a company that facilitated unlawful investments by the Polokwane local municipality in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank in 2016, while she was mayor of the city.

After talks last week, Ramaphosa announced on Monday that Nkabane would be removed and replaced by her deputy, Buti Manamela, as higher education minister. This mollified the DA, prompting the party to withdraw its threat to vote against the budget of the higher education department and others whose ministers are compromised.

This paved the way for the National Assembly to approve the 2025-26 Appropriations Bil in a marathon session on Wednesday. Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo had earlier warned MPs that failing to pass the Bill would have seen the government lose authority to spend beyond 45% of last year’s budget after July.

The Appropriations Bill now proceeds to its second stage, which involves detailed vote-by-vote scrutiny of departmental allocations. The final reading is expected before the end of the month, after which the Bill will be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.

The DA is claiming the outcome as a political victory, saying it was the result of its “relentless pressure”. Its MPs subsequently voted for the higher education budget, which passed on Wednesday with 262 votes in favour and 90 against. 

DA leader John Steenhuisen said this was a demonstration that “we will not tolerate ministers who mislead parliament. Nkabane’s removal is an example of what GNU cooperation should look like when done in good faith.”

He added: “There are still individuals in the executive facing serious allegations. If the president is serious about restoring public trust, he must act decisively and consistently, not only when under pressure.”

In response to her axing, Nkabane told news channel eNCA that she had seen the signs and believed there were forces at play that wanted her removed from the system. She added that she was not surprised by Ramaphosa’s decision to dismiss her and had accepted it, acknowledging that the president had the constitutional authority under section 91.2 to appoint and remove ministers and their deputies.  

“I respect his decision and view it in a positive light … I leave this role as a more refined and knowledgeable person than when I started,” Nkabane said.

Analysts say the DA’s “stunts” to use ultimatums will cage the ANC into submission.

The DA, the second-largest party in the coalition — which the ANC was forced to put together after losing its parliamentary majority in a dismal general election performance last year — will probably push for further action against other ministers accused of misconduct, said North-West University political analyst and academic Snyman Motloung.

“They will push the envelope. First Simelane, second Mchunu and then Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni,” he said.

As Mchunu battles the accusations against him of political interference, Ntshavheni is under investigation for alleged corruption linked to R80  million in unauthorised expenditure during her tenure as a senior official in a Limpopo municipality.

Motloung said the country could see another showdown in the next phase of passing the Appropriation Bill, with the DA again holding the ANC hostage and forcing it to explore alternative legislative alliances permanently, such as ActionSA, which has expressed interest in joining the GNU as long as the DA is removed.

“We might see continuous cycles of the ANC looking for an alternative majority to get out of this relationship with the DA,” said Motloung.

ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli has signalled that the party was always looking for new friends in parliament to reduce its vulnerability to ultimatums from the DA. 

This is as the ANC’s national executive committee has been calling for the removal of the DA from the coalition government after the party took Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to court earlier in the year over a contentious two percentage point VAT increase, which he eventually scrapped from the budget.

“For now, the ANC cannot afford instability in the GNU, but it may change their calculus later,” Motloung said.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengu Motsiri-Bhengu was not available for comment.