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IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
GNU Chaos: Political elites betraying SA
An AI image depicts President Cyril Ramaphosa and the DA's federal council chairperson Helen Zille, racing towards a sinkhole as the MK and EFF look on curiously. Image: SoraAI THE Government of National Unity (GNU) was meant to be South Africa's grand compromise — a reluctant union between the ANC and DA to stabilise a fractured political landscape. But less than a year in, the DA's horseplay, including its decision to boycott the National Dialogue called by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, has exposed this union as fundamentally unworkable, revealing a stark contrast in governing philosophies. While the ANC has at least nominally committed to inclusive nation-building processes, even endorsing a civil society-led National Dialogue it doesn't control, the DA has retreated into obstructionist tactics more suited to opposition benches than a party sharing governance. The ANC's willingness to participate in difficult national conversations, however imperfectly, stands in sharp relief against the DA's petulant withdrawal over what amounts reportedly to a single deputy ministerial post. As the GNU teeters, one thing becomes clear: the ANC may be struggling to reform, but the DA is proving it never truly wanted to govern in the first place. The DA has once again revealed its true colours, not as a party of principle, but as a faction of petulant obstructionists. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Its decision to boycott the National Dialogue is not just misguided; it is an outright betrayal of democratic engagement. And former president Thabo Mbeki, in a blistering open letter, has torn apart the DA's flimsy excuses with surgical precision. The DA claims it withdrew from the National Dialogue, reportedly, in protest of Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield's dismissal from the GNU. DA leader John Steenhuisen issued an ultimatum: 'Fire ANC ministers in 48 hours or else!' When Ramaphosa ignored it, the DA declared the dialogue 'an ANC-run sham'. Helen Zille called it a 'hollow exercise' that would collapse without the DA's presence. Mbeki responded: 'The National Dialogue will have absolutely nothing to do with Ms Helen Zille's fertile imagination. It is very good that, at last, Ms Helen Zille has openly expressed her eminently arrogant and contemptuous view of the masses.' The DA signed the GNU agreement committing to an 'all-inclusive National Dialogue, Yet Zille now admits she was very opposed to it from the start.' Mbeki said: 'I would have found it logical if you and the DA had decided to withdraw from the GNU. Instead, you chose to sabotage a national conversation.' Meanwhile, the Joseph Mathunjwa-led Labour Party launched a legal and political offensive against Ramaphosa's National Dialogue initiative, branding it unconstitutional, fiscally reckless, and an attempt to sideline Parliament and the working class. The Labour Party, founded in 2024 with a clear worker-focused mandate, filed an urgent High Court application on June 18, seeking to interdict the process. The party argues that the estimated R700 million to R800m cost of the dialogue is 'unjustifiable' amid the country's deepening socio-economic crises. However, their main interdict application was not heard when the matter came before the court on July 4. Instead, the court entertained interventions from several high-profile civil society foundations — including the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Strategic Dialogue Group, and the Thabo Mbeki, Steve Biko, and Albert Luthuli Foundations. 'South Africa doesn't need another elite summit behind closed doors,' said acting Secretary-General Lindi Mkhumbane. 'We already have Parliament, Nedlac, and civil society platforms. What we don't have is political will from the ruling elite to act on the people's demands.' The Labour Party's court papers demand: A declaratory order that the National Dialogue is unconstitutional and irrational. An interdict blocking public funds for the process, including payments to the appointed 'Eminent Persons Group.' A review of all executive decisions initiating the Dialogue. The case has become a flashpoint between the Labour Party and a coalition of prominent civil society groups aligned with the state. On June 30, the aforementioned foundations were granted leave to intervene, defending the Dialogue. Interim Labour Party President Joseph Mathunjwa said: 'These are not bystanders. These are political actors with deep ties to the post-apartheid ruling class. Their role isn't to unite the nation, it's to preserve an elite consensus forged behind closed doors.' He accused the foundations of betraying the legacies of the leaders they represent: 'The same communities (these leaders) stood for are ravaged by gender-based violence, unemployment, and poverty. Now these elites want a 'dialogue' instead of action.' Mathunjwa also criticised the procedural manoeuvring surrounding the case, particularly the fact that the foundations submitted answering affidavits before being granted leave to intervene — a step he described as 'arrogance, plain and simple'. The Labour Party claims the Dialogue is a smokescreen for IMF-driven austerity policies, including Eskom privatisation and neoliberal reforms. 'This is a rubber stamp for IMF instructions, nothing more,' Mathunjwa said. 'If Parliament is functional, why create a new platform? This isn't inclusion, it's circumvention.' The state's delayed filing of its answering papers — missing key deadlines — has further fuelled suspicions of procedural stalling. 'They missed the deadline, and now they're bringing in reinforcements to stall,' Mathunjwa said. 'The President cannot wake up and decide to allocate R800m without parliamentary scrutiny,' Mkhumbane argued. 'This is executive overreach masquerading as participation.' As the legal showdown looms, the Labour Party has called on ordinary South Africans to reject what it calls a 'PR stunt' designed to distract from worsening conditions across the country. 'Rape, violence, and poverty don't need a dialogue, they need action,' Mathunjwa declared. 'We're ready to meet them in court.' Political analyst and author Nicholas Woode-Smith delivered a scathing critique of Ramaphosa's National Dialogue, calling it a 'vanity project' designed more to distract South Africans than to solve the country's deepening crises. Woode-Smith, managing editor of *The Rational Standard* and a senior associate at the Free Market Foundation, argues that the event — budgeted at R700 million — was emblematic of Ramaphosa's leadership style. 'This is not going to be some miraculous meeting of the minds where all of South Africa's many issues are solved,' Woode-Smith said. 'On the contrary, Ramaphosa has set up the entire indaba to distract South Africans from the fact that he is completely underequipped to be our president.' He added: 'This entire affair could have been an email.' According to Woode-Smith, the high cost of the summit reflects its true nature — a political exercise in self-aggrandisement rather than a genuine attempt at national healing or problem-solving. 'The initial cost of R700m is just a testament to the fact that this entire event is a vanity project,' he stated. 'Ramaphosa is even taking advantage of condemnations of the quoted bill to try to act like he cares about cost-cutting. If he truly cared about saving money, he'd privatise Transnet and Eskom and stop bailing out the Post Office and SAA.' He continued: 'The fact that even a cent of taxpayer money is being spent on Ramaphosa's little pow-wow is unacceptable.' Woode-Smith questioned the very purpose of the National Dialogue, pointing out that there is no clear objective or roadmap for how it will lead to tangible change. 'It is also unclear what this National Dialogue aims to accomplish,' he said. 'Even if Ramaphosa hears contrary views, they will go ignored. The ANC has a history of not working with its partners. Why should we expect Ramaphosa to respect challenges to ANC policy in a National Dialogue when his party runs roughshod over his coalition partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU)?' He pointed to recent actions by the president as evidence of the ANC's inability to share power responsibly. 'The ANC does not know how to share power,' Woode-Smith asserted. 'At every turn, it has ignored the fact that it is a partner in government, and not a dictator. Ramaphosa firing the Democratic Alliance (DA) Minister Andrew Whitfield is just the most recent example. And no, his excuse is not sufficient. He is not a dictator who can unilaterally kick out ministers.' He further said: 'He is a partner in a coalition government who should be in constant dialogue with the other parties. He should try that dialogue before making it national.' The analyst also criticised the ruling party's legislative agenda, particularly the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill and expropriation without compensation, which he says were pushed through without meaningful consultation. 'Pushing through BELA and expropriation without compensation, while refusing to countenance any dissent are just the cherries on top of the farce that is pluralism in the GNU,' he said. Woode-Smith also took aim at the composition of the so-called 'Eminent Persons Group,' tasked with facilitating the dialogue. 'Meant to represent South Africa as leaders that reflect 'the great diversity of our nation,' this group is nowhere close to reflecting the true, political diversity of this country,' he argued. He noted that the list includes 'a few business leaders, trade unionists, religious leaders, researchers and politicians. But mostly just celebrities. Actors, writers, sportsmen, models.' He asked: 'Is this supposed to be a serious discussion to establish a way forward for our crumbling society, or a festival of shiny faces and shallow vibes?' 'There are no drastic alternative views to Ramaphosa's dogma present in the list,' Woode-Smith said. 'Only Lindiwe Mazibuko was a member of the opposition, and her departure from the DA was not cordial.' He concluded: 'Ramaphosa has crafted a list of yes-men, with some token business leaders who are likely to be too afraid to rock the boat to be too outspoken. This is not the guest list of a dialogue. It's that of an echo chamber.' In Woode-Smith's view, a real national dialogue would involve voices across the ideological spectrum — including those who strongly oppose the ANC's policies. 'A true national dialogue, with the aim of patching South Africa's rifts and working towards solving our problems needs to include parties from all sides of the spectrum,' he said. 'Most importantly, Ramaphosa's enemies; he should have invited Ernst Roets. He should have invited Kallie Kriel.' He added: 'Helen Zille has been an integral part of South Africa's post-1994 political space. Invite her. Invite at least a single representative from an opposition party. Take advantage of South Africa's host of world-class think tanks: the Institute of Race Relations, the Free Market Foundation, the Brenthurst Foundation, the Institute for Security Studies.' Woode-Smith accused the ANC of systematically excluding certain communities from governance. 'The fundamental issue of the ANC's governance has been that it doesn't want to include everyone,' he said. 'It wants to push Afrikaners, white people and other minorities further and further into the periphery. And when said minorities still thrive, they grow bitter.' Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
Eyewitness News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Mbeki says it's good Zille is displaying her arrogant, contemptuous view of SAns
JOHANNESBURG - Former president Thabo Mbeki said it's good that Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson Helen Zille is showcasing her arrogant and contemptuous view of South African people. Zille is not spared in Mbeki's scathing open letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen. The 11-page salvo follows the DA's announcement that it will not participate in the National Dialogue, which Zille described as an African National Congress (ANC) election campaign strategy. Mbeki, who is a champion of the National Dialogue, has placed Zille in his crosshairs. ALSO READ: Withdrawal from National Dialogue likely to see Steenhuisen in hot water He's lambasted Zille for what he's termed a fertile imagination for her claims that the dialogue is an ANC 2026 election campaign and an ANC-run National Dialogue. In seeking to demystify the confusion, Mbeki, in his long letter, set out how the dialogue came about, emphasising the need for political parties, the ANC in particular, to have no role in guiding the conversations. However, Mbeki mentions that it's good that Zille openly made her remarks, showing her arrogance and contempt towards South Africa's masses by suggesting they cannot think and plan their own future without the DA. Mbeki also questioned why the DA remained in the Government of National Unity (GNU), even signing the statement of intent when Zille had been so vocal in her opposition to it.
TimesLIVE
03-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
You should have withdrawn from GNU: Mbeki's open letter to Steenhuisen
Former president Thabo Mbeki has penned a scathing open letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen, saying he would have found it logical for the DA to withdraw from the GNU. Mbeki labelled Steenhuisen and DA federal council chair Helen Zille 'arrogant' after the party's decision to pull out of the national dialogue. In the 11-page letter, Mbeki said it was clear that the DA had serious problems with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC concerning the functioning of the GNU after Ramaphosa removed deputy minister of trade, industry and competition Andrew Whitfield of the DA. 'It is also obvious that despite this you and the DA decided that you will not withdraw from the GNU and it is established that instead with the final straw ... you and the DA have decided not to participate in the national dialogue,' he said. Mbeki criticised Zille's statements that the dialogue was an ANC campaign strategy. He said the dialogue had absolutely nothing to do with Zille's 'fertile imagination of an ANC's 2026 election campaign, or what you called an ANC-run national dialogue'. 'And as you know, Zille, and therefore presumably the DA's view, is that the absence of the latter from the 'Parliament of the People' will make the Parliament 'a sham' and 'a hollow exercise'. It is very good that, at last, Zille has openly expressed her eminently arrogant and contemptuous view of the masses of the people, that these cannot think and plan their future correctly, without the DA. 'That, presumably, is also the view of the federal leader of the DA who must have felt very proud when he announced that effective immediately, the DA will therefore 'have no further part in this process. We will also actively mobilise against it.' I hope that in time the DA will explain to the people why it signed up to the commitment in the statement of intent of the parties in the GNU that parties commit to an all-inclusive national dialogue process, whereas, as Zille said, she had been very opposed to it from the start.' Mbeki said he would like to assure Steenhuisen that representatives of South Africans would attend the dialogue, adding that he was confident the dialogue would make historic and seminal contribution to the efforts to chart a way forward for the country. 'I sincerely hope that all political leaders and the parties they lead will recognise the inalienable reality that the people are our country's sovereign authority ... As I have said I have no doubt that the DA acts against its own direct interests when it decides to isolate itself from its sovereign authority when the latter decides to engage in a national dialogue to determine our countries (sic) future,' he said. He said the national dialogue was borne (sic) out of a 2016 agreement by the FW de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, Helen Suzman, Desmond and Leah Tutu, Kgalema Motlanthe and Robert Sobukwe foundations who formed the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative with the dialogue as one of its objectives. He said while the ANC had agreed to a national dialogue, he advised the party that civil society would not agree to participate in the process led by the ANC and the GNU, proposing that instead the matter should be led by foundations. Ramaphosa then constituted a group of 4/5 people to engage the foundations, he said. He added that the national dialogue preparatory task team, made up of Nedlac executives, the foundations and four presidency officials, will cease to exist after it hands over the reins to the national convention in August. Mbeki said the ministry of finance should provide the funds necessary to hold the dialogue over and above donations from interested parties. 'In fact, the costs of the preparations to date have been borne by the foundations themselves while the day-to-day work relating to the national dialogue has been carried out by volunteers who are committed to building a better South Africa. These are men and women who are ready to lead the way in ensuring that citizens claim their agency,' he said. He said that the preparatory team believed that various matters would arise during the dialogue which will require action from government without having to wait for the dialogue's conclusion. This, he said, was why Ramaphosa appointed an interministerial committee to be on standby to act on those matters. 'It would seem to me that the DA is also saying that the people have forfeited the confidence to the DA. Perhaps the DA ... should distribute leaflets along the Nelson Mandela Boulevard in Cape Town telling the people that they should redouble their efforts to win back the confidence of the DA or face dissolution,' he said.
IOL News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
CYRIL DARES DA TO BOYCOTT NATIONAL DIALOGUE
DA MINISTERS intending to boycott the National Dialogue will have to provide President Cyril Ramaphosa with valid reasons for their non-attendance or their absence will be regarded as insubordination, says the Presidency. The Inter-Ministerial Committee(IMC) on the National Dialogue appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa includes DA leader John Steenhuisen as Agriculture Minister. Other members of the 12-member committee are its chair, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa (IFP), Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie (Patriotic Alliance) and Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso (PAC). 'Any member of Cabinet who wishes to no longer participate in the IMC will have to provide reasons to the President. Hopefully, they'll also think about the consequences of such insubordination. Because that's how the President will regard any non-participation as insubordination," said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said. The National Dialogue aims to address South Africa's ongoing challenges, such as poverty, crime, inequality and unemployment, which continue despite 30 years of democracy. The DA announced its withdrawal after Ramaphosa refused to reverse his decision to fire its member Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition for traveling abroad without permission. On Saturday, Steenhuisen described the National Dialogue as an electioneering ploy, at taxpayer expense, to gloss over the serious crises that the ANC has plunged South Africa into. 'The Dialogue also has no constitutional standing whatsoever to take or impose decisions. Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue.' Magwenya said the DA's boycott of the National Dialogue was immaterial because the initiative was not a party political exercise. 'It's an initiative for all South Africans and the DA is not all South Africans. Ministers who have been appointed to the National Dialogue IMC are expected to participate fully in the IMC, anything to the contrary will have to be explained to the President and non participation in the IMC as the President has directed will certainly constitute insubordination,' Magwenya added. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The ANC has weighed in on the DA's latest move, saying: "This response speaks volumes about the DA's character, they are willing to undermine national interests in pursuit of their narrow partisan agenda. The ANC firmly believes that this dialogue is not merely an event, it is a critical process in pursuit of social compacting, unity, and national renewal. At this juncture, it is imperative for the DA to clarify its stance: is it a genuine and principled partner in the GNU, or is it positioning itself as a quasi-opposition within the executive.' The GOOD Party, a member of the GNU, said the DA's decision to withdraw from the National Dialogue 'reflects a deep unwillingness to prioritise South Africa's collective future over party posturing'. 'This latest tantrum, triggered by the President's refusal to yield to an artificial 48-hour ultimatum, is not a principled stand - it is political theatre. The DA's ultimatum was exposed as inconsequential and their frequent tantrums are quite frankly embarrassing. South Africa does not need parties walking away from dialogue. It needs leadership that can engage with complexity, manage disagreement maturely, and stay the course. The DA's decision to abandon the National Dialogue, while clinging to its GNU positions, exposes the contradiction in its stance,' said GOOD secretary-general, Brett Herron. AL JAMA-AH, another member of the coalition government, said: 'The GNU has a clearing house to deal with disputes and infringes of the "statement of intent'. The GNU also has a Leaders Forum which AL JAMA-AH President Honourable Ganief Hendricks serves on. The Leader's Forum agreed to have a breakaway. It is within this structure, whereby the responsibility to resolve the DA's disputes has to be addressed. This includes whether or not by withdrawing from the National Dialogue the DA, is declaring itself outside of government or not. Nevertheless the DA has insulted the integrity of the most respected thought leaders in the country, clearly stating that their counsel is not welcome.' University of the Free Political Studies and Governance lecturer Sanet Solomon said the DA's moves in the GNU could damage its supporter base. "The DAs decision to withdraw itself from the National Dialogue sends a message to its supporters that it is 'actively standing up' against the ANC and that it is not passively going along with all its decisions. This display of ' showmanship' is just a facade as the party cannot leave the GNU without damaging its support base. 'Post May-2024 it (the DA) tried convincing voters that allying with the GNU would result in better governance and a reduction in corruption. Should it leave the GNU now, its voting base might revert to the FF+, the Good Party, the Patriotic Alliance and others as they may believe that the DA cannot co-govern with others. Should the DA stay, it would be stuck trying to convince its supporters that it has influence in the GNU's decision-making. Either way, they are stuck in a catch-22," said Solomon. Cape Times
Daily Maverick
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
DA withdraws from National Dialogue, will vote against budgets of ‘corruption accused' ANC ministers
The DA will oppose the budget votes of 'corruption accused ANC ministers' – including Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. The DA is not leaving the Government of National Unity (GNU), but it will not participate in the looming National Dialogue, following the axing of its Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Andrew Whitfield. 'Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue,' DA leader John Steenhuisen said at a press conference in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June. 'Effective immediately, the DA will therefore have no further part in this process. 'We will also actively mobilise against it to stop this obscene waste of R740-million – starting with a call on civil society to join us in demanding that the National Dialogue not proceed until President [Cyril] Ramaphosa fires ANC corruption accused and other delinquents from the executive,' Steenhuisen continued. Earlier this month, Ramaphosa announced the appointment of 31 prominent South Africans to lead the National Dialogue expected to take place on 15 August this year. The initiative – meant to tackle a wide range of South Africa's pressing issues including unemployment, poor governance and gender-based violence – was met with immediate opposition owing largely to its R740-million price tag. Steenhuisen announced the decision of the DA's Federal Executive (FedEx) after Ramaphosa removed Whitfield from his position on Wednesday, 25 June, providing no reason for his dismissal. Whitfield's removal, it later emerged, was apparently due to an 'unauthorised' trip he took to the US for the DA in February this year. On Thursday, Steenhuisen gave the president an ' ultimatum ' to clean house of the ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours or face 'grave consequences'. He accused Ramaphosa of a 'flagrant double standard' and had specifically called on him to remove Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane and Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo from his Executive. The political developments surrounding South Africa's fragile coalition government, caused Ramaphosa to cancel his trip to Seville, Spain, on 30 June, to attend a conference on financing for development. He instead delegated International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to attend. 'President Ramaphosa has delegated Minister Lamola as the Head of Delegation for the Summit following recent political developments that require close monitoring and management in the country,' his office said in a statement on Saturday. According to a Sunday Times report earlier on Saturday, the DA was said to be considering leaving the GNU. In response to questions from reporters on why the party has decided to remain in the coalition government, Steenhuisen said the DA did not believe that it was 'in the interest of South Africa for the current GNU to collapse'. He said that if the GNU were to break, it would cause 'significant economic damage' to the country. Steenhuisen said the country 'benefits' from having the DA in the GNU. 'A more impactful way would not have been to leave the Government of National Unity, because that would've opened South Africa up to the coalition of chaos and destruction, and would have led very clearly to more disastrous consequences for South Africa,' he said. Steenhuisen threw the ball back into Ramaphosa's court, saying it was up to the ANC whether they wanted to kick the DA out of the national coalition. 'The ball is in the President's court and the ANC's court – if they want to take a strong stance against us and want to stop us [from] standing against corruption, well, they must fire us from the Government of National Unity,' he said. DA to vote against budget votes In addition to mobilising against the National Dialogue, Steenhuisen said the DA would also be voting against the individual budget votes for Simelane and Nkabane's departments. ' A second, critically important step that the DA is taking, is to vote against upcoming departmental budget votes for the departments headed by Simelane, Nkabane, and other corruption accused ANC ministers. 'We will keep voting against those departmental votes until those ministers are removed. 'In this way, the DA will strike the appropriate balance by allowing the broader GNU budget process to proceed to ensure the stability of the country, while forcing the ANC to act against specific ministers. 'If the ANC wants our support for those departmental budgets, they must replace the incumbent ministers with alternatives that meet the very standard the President has set for himself through Whitfield's axing,' said Steenhuisen. He said that the ministers in those portfolios would need to source other ways of getting their budgets passed in Parliament. 'We won't be voting against the globular budget and, I think, that is a result of the fact that we want to ensure that delivery proceeds for the people of South Africa. But those individual budget votes where ministers are severely compromised and sitting at the top of those departments, will obviously have to find other ways to get those budgets passed,' he said. Steenhuisen added that the party's Federal Executive had also considered tabling a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa. However, he said the DA understood the concerns of many South Africans if Ramaphosa were removed as President. 'While the FedEx decided not to table a Motion of No Confidence at this stage, it is clear that the DA is in the process of losing confidence in his ability to act as a leader not of the ANC, but of the GNU of which we are the second-largest component,' said Steenhuisen. 'If the ANC fails to course-correct, the FedEx will seriously consider exercising our constitutional prerogative by tabling a motion of no confidence.' He mentioned, on several occasions, that the GNU Statement of Intent had been undermined by Ramaphosa and the ANC. 'I think the intent of the Statement of Intent is correct, but it would be great if that was being honored. It is being repeatedly violated. It says a lot about where we're at that a year later, we still have a conflict resolution mechanism; that the Clearing House in the GNU has no terms of reference,' he said. Steenhuisen said that Ramaphosa had not afforded him the opportunity to inform Whitfield himself about what was expected to happen before he received a letter from Ramaphosa alerting him of his removal. 'That is not respectful and that is not right,' he said, suggesting that certain clauses relating to consultation and consensus in the Statement of Intent were violated. 'The Statement of Intent needs to be respected in both letter and spirit,' he said. A replacement for Whitfield Steenhuisen did not provide any names for Whitfield's replacement, saying that the decision was with the party's FedEx. 'We will be submitting a replacement name, and that will obviously be a matter for our Federal Executive to take through the process. It is a DA position, and once again, the fact that we got six ministers and six deputy ministers, is also another example of how we put South Africa first. We, proportionately, are entitled to a lot more than that, and yet it is another matter we had to swallow at that particular time to make sure we got a GNU that worked,' he said. DM
