South African president demotes former DA leader among cabinet changes

JOHANNESBURG, July 1 (Reuters) - ‌South African ​President ​Cyril Ramaphosa announced cabinet changes late on Tuesday, demoting the former leader of his party's ‌main coalition partner from agriculture minister to deputy ⁠trade minister as requested by its new leader.

• Geordin Hill-Lewis ‌took over as Democratic Alliance ‌leader in April and asked Ramaphosa for changes to his party's representatives in the cabinet two weeks ​ago.

• The DA is the second-largest party in South Africa's governing coalition after Ramaphosa's African National ⁠Congress.

• Hill-Lewis asked Ramaphosa to move his predecessor as DA leader, John ​Steenhuisen, from the agriculture portfolio amid a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

• Ramaphosa appointed the DA's ​Willie Aucamp as agriculture minister, ‌as Hill-Lewis had asked. Aucamp previously served as forestry, fisheries and environment minister.

• Ramaphosa ⁠also named the ANC's Dina Pule as minister of social development, filling a vacancy that emerged in May when ⁠Sisisi Tolashe was removed following misconduct allegations.

• Pule has not held ​a cabinet post since 2013, when she was dismissed after media reports that she gave preferential treatment to a company ‌run by her boyfriend. Pule denied wrongdoing at the time, but a parliamentary ethics ‌committee found she had breached the code of conduct ⁠for lawmakers and sanctioned ‌her.

• Pule is ​a senior figure in the ANC Women's League.

(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by Alexander Winning, Alexandra ‌Hudson)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• Iran's Khamenei urges Gulf rulers in written message to confront 'real enemy'
• US to take 35% stake in Venezuelan mogul Betancourt's oil venture, WSJ reports
• US military families ride 'roller coaster of emotions' over six months of Iran war