DA’s Walkout from National Dialogue Sparks GNU Tensions, Says SACP

DA’s Political Games Could Break the GNU, Warns SACP

The Communist Party slams the DA’s “strategic sabotage” as tensions within the unity government boil over.

The fragile truce at the heart of South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) is fraying and the South African Communist Party (SACP) is not mincing words about who’s to blame.

In a strongly worded rebuke, the SACP accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of undermining the National Dialogue for cheap political points, warning that the party’s recent withdrawal from the initiative could spell deeper instability for a government already walking a tightrope.

Is the DA Weaponising Governance?

SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana told IOL News the party views the DA’s actions not as a principled protest, but as “a strategy to weaponise government processes.”

“The attitude of the DA towards the National Dialogue is not surprising,” said Mandlana. “It’s part of a broader game plan to use their place in the GNU to score political points—regardless of the cost to the country.”

The National Dialogue, originally called for by President Cyril Ramaphosa and championed by former president Thabo Mbeki, was envisioned as a mechanism to rebuild trust and chart a more inclusive path forward after the 2024 general election produced no clear majority.

But the DA’s refusal to participate, following Ramaphosa’s firing of DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield over an unauthorised trip, has turned a much-needed platform into a political battleground.

The DA Digs In

DA leader John Steenhuisen hit back at critics, including Mbeki, who labelled the party’s withdrawal “misplaced.” In a public statement, Steenhuisen dismissed the National Dialogue as a “talk shop” orchestrated to rescue the ANC’s waning credibility after its bruising election losses.

“You sought my indulgence,” Steenhuisen said, “but I will not be part of an expensive PR stunt masquerading as inclusive governance.”

He also pointed out what he called double standards, noting that far more serious violations by ANC ministers were ignored while the DA’s Whitfield was punished.

A Crisis of Trust in the GNU

Though the SACP has long voiced skepticism about the GNU’s structure, even calling it “flawed from inception”,  Mandlana said instability within the government only makes matters worse.

“South Africa cannot afford the perception, let alone the reality, of chaos in governance,” he warned.

The SACP believes the DA’s move could deter South Africans from placing faith in democratic institutions. And while the party is preparing to contest the 2026 local elections independently for the first time, it insists it is not walking away from the tripartite alliance with the ANC and COSATU.

“We still see the alliance platform as critical to building a shared vision and rescuing the GNU from dysfunction,” said Mandlana.

A Dialogue Losing Its Meaning

Adding fuel to the fire, Mandlana criticised recent shifts in the National Dialogue’s structure, including Mbeki’s surprise exit from the preparatory process, saying the changes make it “a government-run formality rather than a people-centred process.”

“What began as a conversation about rebuilding democracy risks becoming an exercise in bureaucracy,” he said.

Social media reaction has been divided. Some South Africans support the DA’s walkout, calling it a justified protest against ANC dominance. Others view it as a betrayal of voters who hoped the GNU would finally end political brinkmanship.

South Africa Caught in the Crossfire

The country stands at a crossroads. With growing public frustration over corruption, unemployment, and basic service failures, South Africans want solutions, not more political theatre.

But as alliances unravel and dialogue turns into discord, ordinary people once again find themselves sidelined.

And as the SACP warns, “The South African revolution can ill-afford a continued instability or appearance of instability in its government administration.”

Whether the GNU can recover from this latest blow, or whether it will collapse under the weight of its contradictions,  may define the country’s political trajectory heading into 2026.

{Source: IOL}

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