By Johnathan Paoli
Former President Thabo Mbeki has criticized the DA’s withdrawal from the upcoming National Dialogue, calling it “misplaced and very strange indeed.”
Mbeki expressed his concerns in an 11-page open letter addressed to DA Federal leader John Steenhuisen.
In the letter, Mbeki challenges the DA’s rationale, accusing its leadership of political inconsistency.
He outlines the structure, goals, and legitimacy of the Dialogue in detail, responding directly to the party’s decision not to participate in the scheduled National Dialogue starting on August 15, 2025.
“I have no doubt that the DA acts against its own direct interests when it decides to isolate itself from this sovereign authority of the people when the latter decides to engage in a National Dialogue to determine our country’s future,” Mbeki wrote.
The DA’s withdrawal, announced by John Steenhuisen following the dismissal of DA member Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and
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