Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says his party will no longer remain silent when the ANC fails to consult its Government of National Unity (GNU) partners.
The DA warned that it now intends to publicly disclose the positions it has taken inside government as the ANC has failed to honour key agreements on economic matters.
Addressing DA members and supporters on Thursday, Hill-Lewis defended the party’s decision to join the GNU, saying it was necessary to keep “populist parties” out of government while also demonstrating what the DA could achieve in national government.
“The decision to join the Government of National Unity was the right one,” Hill-Lewis said.
“We joined the GNU to keep populists out of government, but also to demonstrate what the DA can do when it is in national government.”
Hill-Lewis said the ANC needed to accept that the outcome of the 2024 general election required it to govern differently.
“First and foremost, [I require] the ANC to accept that it did not win a mandate to govern as it always has,” he said.
“It won a mandate to negotiate, to compromise and to share decision-making power with the other parties.”
However, he argued that while the Statement of Intent establishing the GNU requires sufficient consensus among coalition partners before major decisions are taken, the ANC had failed to uphold that agreement on several key economic policy issues.
“On economic policy, in particular, on business licensing, on the industrial strategy, on the BEE review and many others, the ANC has proceeded as though the election results meant nothing.”
“We will not accept that.”
Hill-Lewis said the DA would now be more transparent about disagreements within the GNU.
“The DA will no longer remain silent when the ANC refuses to consult or compromise.”
“And we will make public the positions that we have taken inside the GNU.”
“This is not meant as a threat. In fact, it is a matter of basic respect for democracy.”
“We have a mandate from the 3.5 million citizens who voted for us, and we are honour-bound to tell them what we are doing with their trust.”
Hill-Lewis also explained why he chose not to take up a position in the executive after being elected DA leader.
“When I was elected leader of the DA, I chose to remain outside of the Government of National Unity for the simple and important reason of independence.”
“I do not owe my position to President Ramaphosa. I owe it to the millions of people who voted for us.”
Looking ahead, Hill-Lewis said the DA’s ambition was to become South Africa’s largest political party by building a citizen-centred movement that appeals to more South Africans, particularly younger voters.
“The Democratic Alliance under my leadership will be a party for them.”
“We stand for them. We champion their lives, their hopes and their aspirations because they are our lives, our hopes and our aspirations.”
“With their support, we can become, infact we will become — the largest party in South Africa, the leaders of a future governing coalition.”
In addition, Hill-Lewis warned that South Africa was running out of time to address its mounting socio-economic challenges, citing unemployment, violent crime, failing municipalities, poor education outcomes and a struggling public healthcare system.
“We are running out of time,” he said.
“We have lived for too long with catastrophe treated as normal and pain as something that we simply have to endure.”
“Our first transition gave South Africans the right to be citizens. The next transition must give us the power to live as citizens — free to choose, free to build and free to flourish.”
“That is the journey this country began in 1994. It is our responsibility now to finish it.”