Democratic Alliance Withdraws from National Dialogue, Criticizes Ramaphosa’s Leadership but Remains in South Africa’s Coalition Government

 Cape Town, June 29: South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has withdrawn from the national dialogue initiative spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa, signaling a deepening rift within the coalition government formed after last year’s historic election. However, the party has opted to remain in the Government of National Unity (GNU)—for now.

DA leader John Steenhuisen announced the decision on Saturday, days after Ramaphosa dismissed one of the DA’s deputy ministers, Andrew Whitfield, for undertaking an unauthorised trip to the United States. The president has asked the DA to nominate a replacement.

The DA’s exit from the national dialogue process reflects growing frustration within the party over what it describes as a lack of meaningful consultation and mounting unilateral decisions by the African National Congress (ANC), Ramaphosa’s ruling party.

“The federal executive of the DA has resolved to withdraw from the national dialogue,” Steenhuisen said. “We are in the process of losing confidence in the president’s ability to act as a leader—not of the ANC, but of the Government of National Unity.”

Despite internal pressure, Steenhuisen confirmed the DA had decided against tabling a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa, citing the need for political stability amid ongoing negotiations within the fragile governing alliance.

The national dialogue initiative, introduced by Ramaphosa in the wake of the ANC’s loss of its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election, was intended to foster cross-party consensus and national unity. The election marked a watershed moment, ending three decades of ANC parliamentary dominance and forcing the party into an unprecedented coalition with the ideologically divergent DA.

Tensions between the two parties have been evident over the past year, with repeated accusations by the DA that the ANC is sidelining its coalition partners on key policy decisions. The dismissal of Whitfield, a DA appointee and deputy minister for trade, appears to have exacerbated those tensions.

Ramaphosa’s office has not issued further comment on the DA’s withdrawal from the dialogue. However, political analysts say the development raises fresh questions about the sustainability of the coalition and the future of the GNU.

For now, the DA remains in government, but Steenhuisen’s remarks suggest the party is weighing its options carefully as trust continues to erode within the alliance.