The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second biggest party in South Africa's coalition government, has given President Cyril Ramaphosa until Saturday to fire errant officials from his cabinet or else "all bets are off".
Ramaphosa removed Deputy Trade Minister Andrew Whitfield on Wednesday, ostensibly over an unsanctioned trip abroad earlier this year.
DA member Whitfield was part of a delegation that travelled to the US back in February after Washington's relations with South Africa soured.
This latest DA demand is one of a series of rows within the Government of National Unity that have threatened its survival, but the junior partner has yet to pull the plug on its involvement in the coalition.
The DA, in its ultimatum to Ramaphosa, accused the president of a "flagrant double standard" and called on him to fire ministers and deputies in his executive accused of wrongdoing.
