Just a day before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced changes to his Cabinet, he filed a notice to oppose the DA's court bid to have Minister for Women in the Presidency Bathabile Dlamini axed.
Ramaphosa disappointed some on Thursday when he made no cuts to his executive and appointed Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams as the new communications minister instead.
The president also moved former communications minister Nomvula Mokonyane to the environmental affairs portfolio and former telecommunications minister Siyabonga Cwele was moved the home affairs ministry.
Numerous opposition parties expressed their disappointment with the main opposition party's spokesperson Solly Malatsi, who said Ramaphosa missed an opportunity by not removing Dlamini from his Cabinet.
"It cannot be right and legally sound that ministers who have been found to have violated their oath of office find themselves in Cabinet," Malatsi said.
Now the president is also opposing the DA's bid to have her kicked out of Cabinet.
In two-page notice to oppose the DA's court application, the State Attorney notified the DA's legal representative of the decision on behalf of Ramaphosa.
"Be pleased to take notice that the first respondent intends to oppose the relief sought in the notice of motion and has appointed the undermentioned address of his attorney for service upon him of any pleadings or other documents in this application," the notice read.
Two weeks ago, the Presidency distanced itself from a notice to oppose, blaming it on an "over-eager" official at the State Attorney's office.
In September, the Constitutional Court made damning findings against Dlamini, who also leads the ANC Women's League.
The highest court in the land not only found her personally liable for 20% of the legal costs for the social grants saga, but found that the National Prosecuting Authority should investigate her for lying under oath.
However, she has been painted as a no-go area for Ramaphosa within the ANC, due to the assumption that she wields a lot of power within the structures of the governing party and in her home province of KwaZulu-Natal.