South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) has hit back at reports suggesting that Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube could lose her job amid growing tensions over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
On Sunday, newspaper reports suggested that President Cyril Ramaphosa is under intense pressure from within his African National Congress (ANC) to fire Gwarube who – in accordance with her party position – is openly opposed to the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
In a statement, DA leader John Steenhuisen insisted that firing Gwarube or any other DA minister “for doing their jobs” would not be tolerated. He said:
<blockquote>
Doing so would signal an end to the Government of National Unity (GNU).
</blockquote>
Steenhuisen also addressed misinformation surrounding the consultation process, which has been ongoing since Ramaphosa signed the BELA Act into law nearly three months ago. He said:
<blockquote>
These consultations are ongoing through the clearing house mechanism within the GNU. During this time, the minister has met with members from Solidarity, and the Presidency, at NEDLAC (National Economic Development and Labour Council) after a dispute was lodged by the union.
This process is entirely separate from the consultation process, and conflating the two is misleading, and factually incorrect. This was a mandatory process, in terms of the law, to prevent strike action arising out of the dispute. The outcome of this engagement was a settlement, signed by the Minister of Basic Education, the Presidency, and the union.
The fact that the Presidency has now distanced itself from this legislated process, which they were party to, is as disgraceful, as it is confusing.
As leader of the DA, I would like to make this point loud and clear. We support the process followed by the minister, as she was fulfilling her legally obligated responsibilities, and respect the outcome of the negotiations at NEDLAC.
We have been clear since the outset. We are in government to bring about positive change, including inclusive economic growth, and jobs, and at all times we are guided by the rule of law and the Constitution of South Africa. Anything to the contrary will not be tolerated.
</blockquote>
Although the Act was passed by Parliament on October 26, 2023, and assented to in September, the implementation of sections 4 and 5 has been delayed for three months to facilitate multi-party discussions and the development of proposals aimed at resolving the ongoing disputes.
Clause 4 gives the Basic Education Department the authority to instruct schools to enrol more pupils if there is a surplus in some schools. This aims to address imbalances in school admissions.
This clause allows provincial departments to amend schools’ mother-tongue education policies only if the community around the school does not speak that language. This is intended to ensure that language policies are more inclusive and reflective of the local community.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) opposes Clauses 4 and 5 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act for several reasons.
The DA believes these clauses give the state too much control over school admissions, potentially undermining the autonomy of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and leading to a loss of local decision-making power.
Clause 5, which allows provincial departments to amend schools’ mother-tongue education policies, is seen by the DA as a threat to the preservation of mother-tongue education. They argue that this could lead to the marginalisation of certain languages and cultures.
The DA, along with other stakeholders like trade union Solidarity and NEDLAC, has called for these clauses to be excluded from the BELA Act to maintain peace and stability in schools.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The DA warned President Ramaphosa not to fire Minister Gwarube for opposing a law. The law is causing tension in education. The DA supports the minister's actions and negotiations. The law allows the government to control school admissions and language policies. The DA thinks this takes away power from schools. They want the controversial parts of the law removed to keep peace in schools. The President must follow the rule of law and the Constitution.

DA Warns Ramaphosa That Firing Siviwe Gwarube Would Break GNU

South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to move its 44th Summit from Zimbabwe.
The DA, which is part of South Africa’s coalition government, made this call following the Zimbabwean government’s intensified crackdown on democracy activists.
In a statement issued on Friday, 02 August, the DA’s spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, Emma Louise Powell MP, condemned the ZANU-PF government’s repression of civil society.
She argued that hosting the SADC Summit in Zimbabwe would be inappropriate given the country’s deteriorating human rights situation. Said Powell:
<blockquote>
The Democratic Alliance calls on the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to exercise South Africa’s right as a member of SADC and urgently demand that the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government – scheduled to be held on 17 August 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe, be moved to a different location.
The DA makes this call following multiple reports of yet another state-sponsored clampdown on pro-democracy activists by a paranoid ZANU-PF regime, fearing public protests in the lead-up to the summit.
The SADC’s founding treaty mandates member states to act in accordance with the principles of “human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
ZANU-PF illegitimate regime in Harare has yet again violated these principles with impunity in the lead-up to the summit.
</blockquote>
Powell cited recent examples of the Zimbabwean government’s crackdown on opposition and civil society.
This includes the detention of CCC faction leader Jameson Timba and 77 other opposition activists since 16 June, who were charged with holding an “unauthorised political meeting”.
Powell also pointed to the arrest of four democracy activists who were removed from a plane at Robert Mugabe International Airport and charged with disorderly conduct. She said:
<blockquote>
By abusing state machinery to violate the rights of Zimbabweans, the unrepentant ZANU-PF regime has demonstrated that it is prepared to go to any lengths to violate the law in order to entrench its authoritarian rule. South Africa, and by extension the SADC, have an obligation to hold the Zimbabwean government to account.
Allowing the summit to proceed under the current circumstances will not only endorse ZANU-PF’s flagrant abuse of international law but further undermine the principles upon which SADC was established.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s upcoming SADC Chairmanship is a testament to the continued failure of regional leaders to hold these political thugs to account.
South Africa, as a leading member of SADC, must now take a firm stand to uphold international law and advocate for the summit to be moved to a location that upholds and respects democratic values.
This action would send a clear message that South Africa, as a member of the SADC, will no longer tolerate the suppression of democratic freedoms on our doorstep.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The Democratic Alliance in South Africa wants the SADC Summit moved from Zimbabwe because of crackdowns on democracy activists. They say it's not right to have the summit there because of human rights issues. The DA wants the Minister of International Relations to demand the change. They are worried about the repression in Zimbabwe and believe the summit should be held in a place that respects democracy. They are calling on South Africa to take a firm stand against the suppression of democratic freedoms in the region.

SADC Summit Venue Must Be Changed From Zimbabwe, Says SA's Democratic Alliance

South African white-dominated political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has suspended controversial MP Renaldo Gouws for his racist rant, pending a disciplinary hearing.
This comes hardly a day after the party’s leader John Steenhuisen on Wednesday, 19 June defended Gouws, saying he made the comments 16 years ago when he was young and irresponsible.
In a statement issued this Thursday, 20 June, the DA said Gouws had been suspended with immediate effect and now faces disciplinary charges before the Party’s Federal Legal Commission. It said:
<blockquote>
The DA has established that the video, in which Renaldo Gouws uses execrable language, is in fact genuine and not a fake as initially suspected.
The DA Federal Executive has therefore suspended Mr Gouws with immediate effect while he faces disciplinary charges before the Party’s Federal Legal Commission.
</blockquote>
In a video clip, which was deleted but archived in 2012, a man who looks like a young Gouws can be heard using the K-word and N-word several times.
Gouws has been an MP since 15 June 2024.
Commenting on the latest development, Melusi Sime said Gouws “is the embodiment of the values of” the DA. He wrote on X:
<blockquote>
They saving face… Mr Gouws is the embodiment of the values of that political party. It might be easy to ‘white’ wash who they are through the lopsided narrative of ‘good governance’ where they govern, but many people know who they are and whose interests they serve.
</blockquote>
The DA is now part of South Africa’s coalition government which includes five other parties, that is, African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), GOOD Party, Patriotic Alliance (PA), and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

SA: Democratic Alliance Suspends MP, Renaldo Gouws, For Using Racist Language

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s second-biggest political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has confirmed that his party will back President Cyril Ramaphosa for the presidency of the seventh administration, reported <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/live-blog-da-to-back-ramaphosa-for-president-steenhuisen-outlines-gnu-agreement-3e3da4b9-2a0e-45b4-b615-f5154f579497">IOL</a>.
This comes after the DA agreed to be part of a coalition government, which is being referred to as a government of national unity (GNU) which will also include the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
Speaking via a live television broadcast during a break in proceedings at the National Assembly in Cape Town on Friday, June 14, Steenhuisen said:
<blockquote>
Following his election today, President Ramaphosa will then exercise his prerogative to appoint his new cabinet from among the members of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in consultation with the leaders of the constituent parties.
</blockquote>
Steenhuisen also revealed that the DA has also joined the ANC in the three largest provinces: Western Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. He said:
<blockquote>
Today, the DA has become a party of national government. What was once unthinkable when the DA’s predecessor secured only 1.7% of the vote in 1994 has now become a reality.
</blockquote>
Steenhuisen said the DA’s participation in the unity government is driven by its commitment to the South African people. He said:
<blockquote>
The DA takes this historic step forward out of our deep and abiding love for the people of this country. We do so both for the millions of people who voted for us and for all South Africans who yearn for a better government and a brighter future.
For the very first time, the DA will now be able to bring the same expertise we honed in places like Cape Town and the Western Cape to serve all the people of South Africa.
This is our mission core in the Government of National Unity: to serve, to uplift, and to deliver dignity to all the people of our country.
</blockquote>
However, many ANC supporters view the DA as a racist party fighting for the preservation of economic privileges built up by white people during the discriminatory system of apartheid.
In the 1990s, the DA – then known as the Democratic Party (DP), refused to join the GNU following an invitation by the then South African President, Nelson Mandela, after the now-defunct National Party (NP), led by South Africa’s last white ruler, FW de Klerk, had quit the government.
Mandela, who was South Africa’s first black President, formed a GNU after apartheid ended in 1994 and appointed De Klerk as one of his deputies.
But De Klerk and his party withdrew from the GNU about two years after accusing Mandela and the ANC of pushing through decisions without consulting him.
After the NP quit the GNU, Mandela invited the DA to join the GNU to keep alive his efforts at promoting racial reconciliation between the black majority and white minority.
Almost 30 years later, the DA has finally agreed to form a GNU with the ANC to block the latter from forming what it called a “doomsday coalition” with radical parties such as EFF and MK Party led by Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma, respectively.
EFF and MK Party advocate the nationalisation of white-owned land, mines and banks, a move that will bring white privilege to an end.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

DA To Back Ramaphosa For President, Says John Steenhuisen

The Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA) was set to meet on Monday at the party’s headquarters in Bruma, Johannesburg.
As reported by <a href="https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/da-federal-council-meets-on-monday-to-discuss-gnu/">SABC News</a>, the party’s top leadership will be discussing power-sharing arrangements with the African National Congress (ANC) and other parties.
The DA garnered nearly 22% of the national vote, won the majority in the Western Cape, and showed a presence in all other provinces in the 29 May 2024 National and Provincial elections.
DA’s National Spokesperson Solly Malatsi said that the party will also specifically look at the ANC proposal to form a government of national unity (GNU). Said Malatsi:
<blockquote>
The DA welcomes the fact that negotiations are now moving to a substantive negotiation phase. Our negotiation team based on the announcement made by the president last night have further meetings with other parties to listen to their views and reactions.
We also hope to get more details from the ANC about the finer details of what a government of national unity entails which will then be deliberated by our federal executive and subsequently, our federal council will then be deliberated on Monday.
</blockquote>
The proposal to have the ANC and the DA working together has drawn mixed reactions, with the South African Communist Party saying it would be going against its anti-capitalist agenda.
Meanwhile, the DA laid down stringent conditions under which parties would be included in the GNU.
The party said it would only agree to be part of ANC’s proposed governing structure if the uMkhonto weSizwe, Economic Freedom Fighters and Patriotic Alliance were excluded.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/gnu-arrogant-da-could-find-itself-out-of-multiparty-government-says-mk-party-b27678be-6c95-4096-ab01-2e03a720a251">IOL</a>, senior MK leader Muzi Ntshingila said the DA will likely be out of the GNU. Said Ntshingila:
<blockquote>
The DA has already isolated itself by being arrogant in ignoring the will of the people and the majority who voted for MK in KwaZulu-Natal.
Progressive black forces are willing to put the country and the vision of the majority of our people first and will come together to do that.
</blockquote>
Ntshingila added the party’s stance on not accepting ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa as part of any new formation still stands.
He, however, hinted at compromises being made to ensure their bigger prize in keeping the DA out of any government coalition is achieved.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

DA Federal Council Meets To Discuss GNU

South Africa’s official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of violating the Electoral Code of Conduct after inviting Zimbabwe’s ZANU PF to help its campaign in the run-up to the 29 May elections.
The ANC has reportedly enlisted the help of Zimbabwe’s governing party in the final stretch of electioneering and also to participate as an observer mission during the elections.
In a statement, DA spokesperson, Solly Malatsi, said that the ANC’s move is a desperate attempt to hang on to power by any means necessary. Said Malatsi:
<blockquote>
In its desperate attempt to hang on to power by any means necessary, the ANC is co-opting the SADC region’s electoral outcasts – ZANU-PF, to come and assist them contaminate South Africa’s electoral processes in the lead up to the general elections on 29 May.
The ANC’s invitation to ZANU-PF asking them to come and be part of their election campaign programme amounts to political interference with our elections. This compromises the Electoral Code of Conduct that all political parties swore to uphold.
ZANU-PF does not deserve to even act as an observer in the May elections because this is the same political party that has repeatedly violated Zimbabwe’s electoral laws to stay in power.
They have burnt Zimbabwe to ashes and should not be brought anywhere near what is the most consequential election in South Africa since the dawn of democracy.
</blockquote>
Malatsi said the DA will lodge an official complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over what the party believes is a direct political interference in the election. He said:
<blockquote>
The DA will be lodging an official complaint with the IEC over this direct political interference in the election and the potential harm that it could bring to the credibility of the outcome. We simply can’t allow a foreign political party to actively pursue a partisan political agenda on behalf of the ANC.
</blockquote>
Malatsi further stated that the ANC’s invitation of ZANU PF to observe South African elections shows that the two parties are political bedfellows allergic to democratic values. He said:
<blockquote>
Following Zimbabwe’s disputed elections in August 2023, which saw ZANU-PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially “re-elected” for a second term, the SADC Election Observer Mission (SADC-EOM) noted that the elections “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021).”
Similarly, other observer missions – from the African Union, Commonwealth and the European Union, raised concern that the conduct of the election process impacted the credibility, transparency and inclusivity of the process.
The ANC’s Cyril Ramaphosa ignored these scathing findings and endorsed the ‘re-election’ of Mnangagwa. It’s now clear why he rushed to endorse this sham election – the ANC had already made up its mind that they were going to coopt ZANU-PF in their nefarious plan to interfere in South Africa’s electoral process.
It explains why the ANC expresses righteous indignation at the DA’s appeal to the international community to send observers to come and observe our elections in May.
They knew that this would expose their plan to bring compromised actors like ZANU-PF to bolster their waning electoral fortunes through political interference.
</blockquote>
Malatsi said the DA will do everything in its power to ensure that ZANU PF is barred from interfering in South Africa’s elections and is stopped from playing any role in observing the electoral process on 29 May.
He further asserted that ZANU PF rigged Zimbabwe’s elections many times over and will not be allowed to do the same in South Africa.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

DA Won't Allow ZANU PF To Export Vote Rigging To South Africa - Malatsi

South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will on Sunday announce who will lead the party into the future.
Mbali Ntuli and John Steenhuisen faced off on the first day of the DA’s virtual congress yesterday.
While, interim leader Steenhuisen, who took over after Mmusi Maimane’s exit from the DA last year, has emphasised on internal party discipline, his challenger, Ntuli says disagreement within the party is a good thing. Steenhuisen said:
<blockquote>I reaffirm my deep commitment to restoring discipline, including message discipline.
We must stop talking only to ourselves and we must stop talking to the media about our internal party matters.
From now on, every single DA member must focus only on the voters, all of them.</blockquote>
Ntuli believes all party members should have equal ability to decide where the party should be going. She said:
<blockquote>I don’t think that disagreements, or seeing things differently, is a bad thing.
The idea of diversity as part of our principles is the one that should be cherished the most, as the DA.
I want to move our party into a place where everybody feels that they equal ability to say where they believe the DA should be going and how we should be talking to voters on the ground.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.enca.com/news/da-announce-new-leader">eNCA</a></h4>

South Africa's DA To Announce New Leader

After DA’s leader <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/10/23/mmusi-maimane-resigns-from-da/">Mmusi Maimane quit as DA leader earlier this week, </a>DA is set to sit and vote for an interim leader on 17 November watch the video below. The DA said the 17th of November is the earliest possible day they can elect an interim leader and chairperson after Maimane’s departure.
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2rZQYb2KIUI?feature=oembed" title="DA scrambling for a new leader" width="640"></iframe></div>

WATCH: South Africa's Democratic Alliance Scrambling For New Leader After Maimane's Departure

<blockquote>STATEMENT BY FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, THABO MBEKI, ON THE RESIGNATION OF MMUSI MAIMANE, ATHOL TROLLIP AND HERMAN MASHABA FROM SENIOR DA POSITIONS AND THE DA.
October 24, 2019
I have understood from the statements made by the various leaders of the Democratic Alliance (DA), including Mr Mmusi Maimane, that the current developments within the DA have to do with the continuing challenge of racism in our country.
In this context, I wish to emphasise that, consistent with our Constitution, all our registered political formations have an absolute obligation practically to contribute to the national effort to make ours a nonracial country.
It would be a matter of the greatest concern if it were, in fact, true that our country’s Official Opposition, the DA, is going through a leadership crisis because of a hegemonic ascendancy of a racist tendency which seeks to assert policies to that end, thus to sustain colonial and apartheid social relations.
The millions of our people and our Constitutional order will gain absolutely nothing from any negative movement in any of our political parties towards policies based on racism.
The DA has an imperative obligation to reassure the nation, practically, unequivocally and transparently, that it is conducting and will conduct itself in terms of all its internal and public policies and programmes in a manner which truly helps to transform South Africa into a non-racial country.
This is an obligation which binds all the political parties which serve within our legislatures, without exception.
Together, these must ensure that as elected representatives of the people, they faithfully discharge their solemn obligation to contribute to the building of the South Africa prescribed in our Constitution.
Those who organise and act to frustrate the realisation of the goals detailed in our Constitution must understand that thereby they commit a criminal act against both the ordinary people in our country and the post-apartheid legal order which has sought to defend the interests of all our people without regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation or creed!</blockquote>

Thabo Mbeki Comments On 'Racially-inspired' High Profile DA Resignations {Full Text}

Leader of South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane has resigned as Federal leader of the party and from Parliament.
Speaking to journalists in Johannesburg on Wednesday where he announced his resignation, Maimane said:
<blockquote>It is with great sadness that in order to continue this fight for the vision I strongly believe and the country I so dearly love, I will today step down as leader of the DA.
Over the past months, it has become quite clear to me that there exists a grouping within the DA who do not see eye to eye with me and do not share this vision for the party and the direction it was taking.</blockquote>
Maimane became the first black person to lead the white-dominated party whose support base is predominantly Cape Town.
His resignation follows another high profile one, that of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, who left the party two days ago.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/2019/10/23/mmusi-maimane-quits-as-democratic-alliance-leader-plunging-party-into-crisis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ZimLive</a></h4>

Leader Of South Africa's Main Opposition Party Resigns

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane has resigned from his position as the DA president. Maimane was expected to address the media this afternoon and he did about an hour ago.
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7eaOm_gpOI8?feature=oembed" title="WATCH LIVE | Mmusi Maimane to address media amid resignation rumours" width="640"></iframe></div>

WATCH: Mmusi Maimane Resigns

South Africa’s largest opposition political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has called for a full audit of election results.
This follows reports of double voting in some areas. The party claims that its own Parliamentary candidates easily voted twice, to prove the point.
DA federal council chairperson James Selfe had this to say:
<blockquote>We don’t know whether its material or not, but what we do know is that there were more than a dozen stories of people who have managed to easily obtain second ballots.
One of our Members of Parliament did so just to prove that she could do it.
It’s clearly an unsatisfactory situation and one that we cannot allow to go through, because clearly there is going to be doubts about the outcomes unless an audit is done.</blockquote>
Another opposition party, African Transformation Movement (ATM), said there are numerous irregularities observed in the voting process which may require a re-run to be conducted.
ATM head of policy Mzwanele Manyi said:
<blockquote>The number of irregularities in these 2019 elections is of great concern. A case for a rerun may very well be on the table. I speak as someone who has voted but my left thumb is clean. The so called indellible ink is removable.</blockquote>
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<h4>More: <a href="https://www.news24.com/Elections/News/da-calls-for-a-full-audit-of-election-results-20190509" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">News24</a></h4>

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