The ANC has called an urgent meeting with DA federal chairperson Helen Zille early next week – dubbed a final attempt to repair relations before the ANC’s next weekend’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting to decide whether the DA should remain in the government of national unity (GNU).
Sources in both parties said the meeting, initiated by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, is seen as a last-ditch effort to salvage the uneasy alliance following weeks of public confrontation, stalled parliamentary coordination, and what ANC insiders describe as “bad faith engagements” from the DA.
A senior ANC official told Sunday World that the party’s leadership is “deeply concerned” about the DA’s posture, which it viewed as confrontational and inconsistent with the collaborative spirit of the GNU.
“This meeting is being convened by the ANC to address the breakdown in trust and to decide whether this partnership can be salvaged. The NEC will need a clear report from the secretary-general on whether the DA is still a reliable partner.”
DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau confirmed that Zille accepted the meeting, adding that the party welcomed the opportunity to gain clarity from the ANC on its long-term intentions.
A DA source said, “We’re going into this meeting because it is clear that relations have deteriorated. We want to know whether the ANC still intends to work with us, but we are resolute in our call for corrupt ministers to be removed from cabinet and are willing to lose it if it gets to that.”
Tensions between the ANC and DA escalated after the DA accused the ANC of attempting to dominate Parliament by blocking opposition parties from chairing key committees. The ANC, in turn, accused the DA of issuing ultimatums and undermining GNU negotiations by taking disagreements to the media instead of resolving them internally.
Last month, DA leader John Steenhuisen publicly stated that the DA would reconsider its participation in the National Dialogue set for next month if its demands for oversight roles were not met. The ANC responded by saying the GNU was based on shared governance, not “negotiated spoils”.
The fallout has prompted concern among other GNU partners, including the IFP, Good, and the Patriotic Alliance, who have indicated support for a more collaborative and less confrontational arrangement.
Next weekend’s NEC meeting will be the first time the party’s highest decision-making body convenes to assess the state of the GNU since the tensions between the parties escalated.
According to ANC insiders, several NEC members are pushing for a review of the DA’s role, arguing that its conduct is destabilising the executive.
“There is active conversation about whether the DA is more of a liability than an asset at this stage. The NEC wants to know if we are being held hostage by a party that refuses to engage in good faith,” said an anonymous NEC member.
The meeting also comes ahead of the upcoming departmental budget vote at the end of the month, where the ANC expects all GNU partners, including the DA, to present a united front in support of the budget.
According to ANC insiders, there is concern that the DA could use the budget process to flex its parliamentary muscle or push back against ANC priorities. “If the DA does not come to the table in good faith, the ANC may begin looking more seriously at alternative partners such as ActionSA to stabilise governance,” said a senior ANC official.
The backdrop to this political instability is the upcoming National Dialogue, which will bring together political parties, civil society and social partners, and is intended to establish a shared national agenda and outline key priorities for the seventh administration.
In response to the DA’s stance, former president Thabo Mbeki published a sharply worded open letter to Steenhuisen and Zille, branding the party’s withdrawal from the National Dialogue “arrogant”. Mbeki also criticised Zille’s claim that the process was an “ANC-run sham”, urging the DA to honour its GNU commitments.
Khakhau said the DA resolved not to neglect the federal executive’s decision to snub the dialogue. “We remain resolute in our decision not to take part in the National Dialogue despite threats of insubordination. We know the consequences, but unless the president hears our demands, we will not be shaken.”
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi-Bhengu did not respond to a request for comment.
