Zille tells Ramaphosa: Dismiss DA ministers, say goodbye to GNU

Zille

Cape Town – Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Helen Zille, has warned President Cyril Ramaphosa that any move to reshuffle his Cabinet and remove DA ministers would mark the end of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

In an interview with SABC News, Zille emphasised that the DA’s coalition agreement includes a specific number of ministers, and removing them would signify Ramaphosa’s decision to dissolve the GNU.

“We have a coalition agreement that we have a specific number in the Cabinet, less than it should have, but indeed we do have a specific number. If he (Ramaphosa) does that, it’s his choice to end the GNU, simple as that,” Zille said.

The DA joined the GNU after the African National Congress (ANC) failed to secure enough support to govern alone in the 2024 elections. Currently, the DA holds six ministerial and six deputy ministerial positions within the coalition.

Zille’s comments follow tensions within the coalition, particularly after the DA opposed the 2025 national budget.

Amid increasing pressure for Ramaphosa to expel the DA from the GNU, Zille warned that if the president decides to remove DA Cabinet ministers, it would effectively mark the dissolution of the coalition.

“Well, that will be his signal that it is the end of the GNU, and then he will have to put a 10-party coalition. Good luck with it,” she said.

While some ANC members have called for Ramaphosa to expel the DA from the GNU, the ANC National Working Committee (NWC) decided to maintain its relationship with the DA despite the budget dispute.

Zille argued that the DA’s opposition to the VAT increase, included in the budget, was driven by the need for renegotiation to ensure economic growth and job creation.

She criticised the ANC for bypassing the DA in negotiations, claiming that smaller parties, including ActionSA, were misled into supporting the budget.

The DA has filed an urgent court application to block the VAT increase and is pushing for a renegotiation of the budget to include economic reforms.

Zille made it clear that if the DA ministers were removed, it would force Ramaphosa to form a new coalition with 10 parties, which she dismissed as highly impractical.

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