Helen Zille has criticised the ANC’s unilateral approach in its handling of the upcoming National Dialogue to address South Africa’s pressing socio-political challenges. File Picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Helen Zille, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) federal council, has voiced frustration with the African National Congress (ANC) regarding its handling of the upcoming National Dialogue.
On X (formerly twitter ), Zille accused the ANC of making a unilateral decision.
“We made it clear, from the start of the GNU negotiations, that the National Dialogue must be a joint initiative, planned and executed by the key GNU governance partners,” Zille stated.
"But here goes the ANC, unilaterally as usual, as if they won the election.”
The National Dialogue, scheduled for December 16, was confirmed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile during the second meeting of the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) clearing house forum on Thursday.
The dialogue aims to address South Africa’s pressing socio-political challenges, focusing on unity and cooperation within the coalition government.
"There will be a special cabinet meeting next week to deal with the issue of the national dialogue,” Mashatile explained.
“The cabinet agreed. The reason why we will have a special meeting is because of the time-frames in terms of the proposals. The first sitting of the national dialogue will be on the 16th of December, which will be the inaugural meeting, so we felt the sooner the cabinet discusses the matter, the better."
He clarified, however, that “the real dialogue is proposed for next year”.
The GNU, an alliance of 10 political parties, includes the ANC, DA, Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Good Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, and Rise Mzansi.
The recent meeting allowed party leaders to align on key issues, including the contentious Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act and the nation’s upcoming presidency of the G20 in 2025.
The Bela Act, signed into law last month, has drawn sharp criticism from the DA, particularly clauses 4 and 5, which impact school admission and language policies. The DA, which boycotted the signing ceremony, has called for these clauses to be reviewed by the GNU’s clearing house mechanism.
The government also discussed its responsibilities as the incoming G20 presidency, a role South Africa will assume on December 1.
This leadership position, culminating in a summit in November 2025, is expected to place the country at the forefront of global economic governance, presenting opportunities to address key issues with an international audience.
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