South African President Cyril Ramaphosa removed the higher education minister from her post in what appeared to be a bid to defuse tensions ahead of a critical budget vote on Wednesday, after his party’s main coalition partner accused her of misconduct.
The Democratic Alliance, the second-biggest party in the coalition, announced that it would now back the last major piece of budget legislation after threatening to block the vote until African National Congress ministers facing corruption allegations were axed.
Ramaphosa did not provide a reason for the removal of Nobuhle Nkabane, who has denied the allegations against her — which include improperly influencing appointments. The sacking marks the latest corruption-linked scandal facing Ramaphosa’s government. Earlier this month he placed his police minister on leave of absence over accusations that he had colluded with a criminal syndicate and interfered in high-profile investigations.