DA ministers will be held accountable in Parly, even by fellow members: Zille

CAPE TOWN – Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson Helen Zille says her party’s ministers will be held accountable in Parliament - even by their own party. 

But she’s clear the ANC alone does not get to decide the programme of action for ministers. 

The DA has six ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet and another six serving as deputy ministers. 

Zille says coalition politics is about compromise and give-and-take. 

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But she’s unequivocal the ANC can’t have it all their own way. 

“It’s not that the biggest party says this is our policy and you are now going to implement our policy, or we are going to kick you out. It doesn’t work like that anywhere in the world.” 

She said the recent Cabinet policy lekgotla went well, and all parties who share executive positions made inputs to the roadmap that will be followed. 

Zille added there will be no easy ride for her party’s ministers. 

“We are absolutely committed to the GNU [Government of National Unity], it’s been going very well so far and the da in parliament will hold our ministers to account, and we will hold the ANC ministers to account, and we will hold all other ministers to account, because that’s the role of parliament.”

She said DA ministers are sticking to party principles not to use blue light security convoys - and to share ministerial homes while on official business in Pretoria.