DA still trapped in comfort of opposition

THE DA spent decades branding itself as the champion of good governance and the only viable alternative to the ANC. Yet, despite finally entering the Government of National Unity (GNU), the DA remains addled by its deeply ingrained oppositionist mindset.

- DUGAN BROWN, YONELLA TOSHLE-MLAMBO & ANASTASIA SOLOMONS

In lieu of embracing the responsibilities of governance, the DA chose to continue its tired routine of obstruction, self-righteous grandstanding, and rhetorical contradictions. The DA's role in the GNU exposes a party more fixated on posturing against the ANC than actually governing.

Therefore, the 2024 general elections, rather than being a moment of clarity for the DA, have only confirmed its inability to transition from opposition rhetoric to realpolitik. The party was eager to join the GNU, convinced that it could implement its grand strategy to weaken ANC dominance.

Helen Zille and other DA leaders boasted about their negotiation prowess, claiming that the ANC could not pass legislation without DA approval. This belief in an imagined stranglehold over the GNU has since crumbled spectacularly.

The ANC, despite its substantial electoral losses, remains the senior partner in the GNU and has repeatedly demonstrated this reality to the DA. The passage of the BELA Act, the Expropriation Act, and the NHI Bill proves just how little leverage the DA wields. Instead of exerting meaningful influence, the DA found itself in the humiliating position of opposing legislation that its ministers would later be forced to implement.