DA's withdrawal from National Dialogue shows it is out of touch with supporters, says analyst
The DA's announcement came after President Cyril Ramaphosa fired DA member, Andrew Whitfield, from his position as the deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, for taking an unauthorised international trip.
FILE: A Democratic Alliance flag. Picture: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
JOHANNESBURG - Political analyst, Siseko Maphosa, said that the Democratic Alliance (DA) was out of touch with its supporters following its decision to withdraw from the National Dialogue and its refusal to support some departmental budgets.
The DA's announcement came after President Cyril Ramaphosa fired DA member, Andrew Whitfield, from his position as the deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, for taking an unauthorised international trip.
In retaliation, the DA gave Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to fire ministers accused of corruption.
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When the president failed to act, DA leader John Steenhuisen said that the party would no longer participate in the National Dialogue and would reject all budget votes involving corruption-accused ministers.
Maphosa, however, said that the DA's tactics risked damaging public trust and hurting service delivery.
"The DA voters didn’t sign up for this, they backed a party with a clear manifesto, not one that clings to the GNU, that sidelines their interests and not one that clings to the GNU on the back of this imagined doomsday coalition that could emerge should they exit."