DA urges commitment to honest leadership and fair governance, signals it may reconsider its role in the Government of National Unity if shared values are not upheld.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has sent a clear message to the African National Congress (ANC) and President Cyril Ramaphosa, it wants honest leadership and fair government and if those conditions aren’t met, the party may rethink its place in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
At a live media briefing held on Saturday, 28 June 2025, at the DA’s headquarters in Cape Town after the 48-hour deadline it had given the president expired DA leader John Steenhuisen made the party’s position clear. “Our support for the GNU is not unconditional,” Steenhuisen said. “We will not rubber‑stamp a government that turns a blind eye to unethical appointments or continues to protect those who undermined the state.”
Steenhuisen also noted that the DA is calling for the removal of Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, stating that the people of South Africa should not be taken for fools. He added that the DA is demanding the removal of all ministers implicated in corruption.
This comes after President Ramaphosa removed DA MP Andrew Whitfield from his deputy minister position, without discussing it with the DA. The party says this breaks the agreement they made when they joined the GNU.
Helen Zille, the DA’s Federal Council Chairperson, also spoke at the end of the briefing. She reminded people that the DA answers to the public, not to other parties. “We’re not in the GNU to please the ANC. We’re there to make a success of South Africa.” She said the DA is there to make sure government works for the people, not to play politics.
Earlier this week, the DA’s leadership met to decide what to do about the tension inside the GNU. While they have not pulled out of the unity government yet, they made it clear that they want the president to take action especially on removing ANC ministers who have been involved in wrongdoing.
Steenhuisen said the DA still wants to work with others, but only if the partnership is honest and fair. “We will not be complicit in a government that fails to deliver on transparency and accountability,” he said.
The DA’s strong position may lead to changes in how the GNU works in the weeks ahead.
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