The DA’s federal council, the party’s highest decision-making body between national conferences, has postponed a definitive stance on multiparty negotiations, seeking more time to deliberate the path ahead in a decision that could redefine its future and that of the nation.
DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi underscored the federal council’s endorsement of the negotiating team’s effort in the talks. The team is made up of former and current leaders Helen Zille, Tony Leon, Ivan Meyer, Siviwe Gwarube, Alan Winde and Ryan Coetzee.
“The federal council reaffirmed the mandate of the negotiating team to continue to represent the DA in multiparty negotiations and will resume the meeting tomorrow [Tuesday] to continue the critical discussions aimed at advancing the interests of SA,” Malatsi said.
If the DA decides on a formal working relationship with the ANC, it will mark a systemic shift in policy for the official opposition. While the ANC and DA have worked together in some municipalities at local government level, the party’s federal council has until now rejected a more formal agreement for the two parties to work together even in SA’s metros.
The ANC suffered its worst electoral performance at the polls in 30 years as its share of the vote plunged from 57% in 2019 to 40% in 2024. This leaves the ANC trying to balance an array of demands from political parties, financial markets and its alliance partners.
The DA set out six principles that should inform the new administration. They include the independence of the Reserve Bank, protection and promotion of the constitution, a sustainable fiscal framework, creating a corruption-free public service, and the continuation of the work of Operation Vulindlela, the joint office within the presidency and Treasury that oversees policy reform in network industries.
Meanwhile, the EFF said it would reject the ANC’s government of national unity (GNU) proposal if it involved the DA and the Freedom Front Plus. The red berets are not opposed to forming a coalition with the MK party in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We will have an independent engagement with MK to constitute a government in KwaZulu-Natal,” EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu said. “Our view is that MK should lead the government of KwaZulu-Natal because they had the highest number of people who voted for them in the province.”
The IFP’s national executive committee also met on Monday, but no update was available at the time of going to print.
Post-election governing scenarios range from an ANC, DA and IFP coalition — which markets seem to favour due to the promise of more policy reform, stronger implementation and a firm stance against corruption — to a unity government involving the ANC, DA, MK, EFF and IFP.
Another possibility is the ANC partnering with its splinter groups the EFF and MK, and those two parties working together to keep the ANC out of power in KwaZulu-Natal.
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