South Africa's DA Quits National Dialogue After Deputy Minister's Removal

Source: Xinhua| 2025-06-29 21:17:45|Editor: huaxia

JOHANNESBURG, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Following the dismissal of its deputy minister, the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in South Africa's Government of National Unity (GNU), has declared its withdrawal from the planned National Dialogue and will vote against certain national department budgets.

Briefing the media in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital, on Saturday afternoon, DA leader John Steenhuisen lashed out at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "Without any forewarning or meaningful consultation, Ramaphosa concocted an excuse to remove a DA deputy minister out of the blue, because of his own failure to respond to a request for travel permission," he said.

Accusing Ramaphosa of a "flagrant double standard," Steenhuisen cited "the president's refusal to act against corruption within his own ranks" for his party's withdrawal from the National Dialogue.

"For that reason, the Federal Executive of the DA has resolved to withdraw from the National Dialogue with immediate effect," he said, adding that the DA will remain in the GNU.

The dispute began on Thursday when Ramaphosa dismissed the DA's Andrew Whitfield from his position as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition. The DA is one of 10 parties that formed the GNU after the 2024 general elections, in which no single party -- including Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) -- secured an outright majority.

After Whitfield's dismissal, the DA gave Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to fire some of the ANC ministers and deputies implicated in corruption or face "grave consequences." In a statement on Friday, Ramaphosa clarified that Whitfield was removed for visiting the United States without his permission.

At the Saturday briefing, Steenhuisen also revealed that the DA had "actively" considered a vote of no confidence in the president, but decided not to table it at this stage. He added that the DA "is to vote against upcoming departmental budget votes for the departments" headed by "corruption-accused ANC ministers."

The ANC said on Sunday that the DA's plan to boycott the recently announced National Dialogue was "surprising."

On the DA's plan to vote against some national departments' budgets, ANC spokesperson Mahleng Bhengu-Matsiri said this would be "disruptive" and "undermine."

"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," she added.