By Johnathan Paoli
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has withdrawn from the National Dialogue process following party leader John Steenhuisen accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa of continuously protecting “corrupt” ANC Cabinet ministers.
It has also vowed to vote against departmental budgets headed by these ministers.
Steenhuisen said that his party would no longer legitimise what he called the African National Congress’ (ANC) “pattern of disrespect, arrogance and double standards” within the Government of National Unity (GNU).
“Instead of substantive cooperation, the ANC has chosen to protect looters, undermine the GNU agreement and treat its partners with contempt. Ramaphosa has become indistinguishable from the RET (Radical Economic Transformation) faction he once vowed to oppose,” Steenhuisen said.
He told reporters that the DA had entered the GNU in good faith following the 2024 elections, which saw the ANC lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994.
The DA joined the coalition on
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