Delegates at the DA’s 2026 congress continue to sing and dance during a break between official proceedings.
- The DA is a major part of the government national unity.
- However, there are some, including the most recent youth leader, who are unhappy with the coalition arrangement in the party.
- Two leaders who have most recently occupied the DA federal youth position – a key office in the party – differ on the GNU issue.
Acting DA federal youth leader, Ndipiwe Olayi, believes that for South Africa to be saved from the abyss, the DA ought to remain in the government of national unity (GNU).
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Olayi made the statement amid grumbling from those who don’t want the DA to remain in the GNU.
On Saturday, News24 reported that the most recent former DA federal youth leader, Nicholas Nyathi, turned heads with an unusually blunt assessment of his own party just days before the DA’s federal congress.
During a candidates’ webinar meant to pitch for delegate votes, Nyathi, a former DA youth leader, went off script to criticise the DA’s leadership, identity, and overall direction.
Nyathi reportedly said that democracy within the party was under strain and that dissenters were “silenced”.
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Nyathi’s frank remarks have sparked internal debate, with some members appreciating his honesty, while others worry it may alienate key voters.
The DA joined the GNU after securing 87 seats in the National Assembly, and negotiated until it was entrusted with six ministries and deputy ministers by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a sit-down interview with News24, Olayi said one of the positive aspects of liberalism is that it allows individuals to determine the direction the party must take, such as its position on the GNU.
Olayi said the DA “pre-empted” coalitions on the national scene after the 2019 general election.
Olayi, who was part of a debate among leaders who considered the pros and cons of the GNU after its formation, said “many individuals” didn’t want to be part of the arrangement.
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“[But] what we found was that when the DA operates outside of the GNU, it will be ordinary South Africans who suffer.
“We needed to take the mature ground to say in order to save South Africa, the DA needs to remain a part of the GNU.”
The anti-GNU grumbling has led to at least one member defecting to the Freedom Front Plus in Free State, which is contesting for the same constituency as the DA, according to Nyathi.
