Geordin Hill-Lewis asks Ramaphosa to sack Steenhuisen as minister

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.

Tebogo Letsie/City Press

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove his predecessor,John Steenhuisen,from the Cabinet.

Steenhuisen,the agriculture minister,is being demoted to deputy minister of trade and industry.

Willie Aucamp,the minister of forestry,fisheries and the environment,will replace Steenhuisen in the agriculture portfolio. Aucamp is a farmer.

According to Rapport,Hill-Lewis has asked Ramaphosa to appoint the Western Cape MEC for Education,David Maynier,to the Cabinet in Aucamp’s old portfolio.

ADVERTISEMENT

Steenhuisen has been in a running battle with farming organisation SAAI,which is aligned to AfriForum,for the longest part of his tenure.

Last month,the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled against Steenhuisen on the private rollout of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines by farmers and veterinarians.

This is a developing story.