The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s withdrawal from the national dialogue is the latest sign of political instability roiling the coalition government in South Africa, as the government celebrates its first anniversary.
The tensions began when President Cyril Ramaphosa sacked a Democratic Alliance deputy minister over an unauthorised foreign trip.
Andrew Whitfield, the deputy minister of trade, is accused of breaching ministerial code of conduct after he travelled to the US without the president’s permission.
In response, the DA has demanded that President Ramaphosa remove three African National Congress (ANC) ministers facing corruption charges within 48 hours or face consequences.
On Friday, the presidency dismissed the DA’s demands as “threats and ultimatums” and said they would not affect the president.
The ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades in last year’s general election, forcing Ramaphosa to form a coalition with the DA to keep his party in power.
However, the two parties remain deeply divided on ideology. In particular, they are divided on policies to empower the black majority and on budget decisions.
Ramaphosa’s “National Dialogue” initiative, launched last month to unite the country to tackle key issues such as unemployment and crime, is now in crisis.
