“Bring It On”: Helen Zille Dares Presidency to Punish DA Ministers for Ditching National Dialogue

• Helen Zille has responded to the possibility that Democratic Alliance ministers could face punishment for ditching the National Dialogue
• The party withdrew from the upcoming event in August as it was unhappy with the dismissal of former deputy minister Andrew Whitfield
• Zille also warned that there would be dire consequences for the country if the DA were kicked out of the Government of National Unity

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – Helen Zille has challenged the presidency to take action against Democratic Alliance ministers who fail to participate in the upcoming National Dialogue.

The ministers are at risk of facing punishment from the president if they choose to boycott the event, something the DA has promised to do. The party indicated that it was withdrawing from the National Dialogue due to its unhappiness over the dismissal of Andrew Whitfield.

Speaking to the media in Cape Town on 2 July 2025, Zille weighed in on the possibility of the party’s members being punished, urging the president to ‘bring it on’.

Why could DA members be in trouble?

Following its decision to ditch the National Dialogue, the presidency indicated that non-attendance by members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) could be viewed as insubordination. Agriculture Minister and DA leader, John Steenhuisen, is part of the IMC put together by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the National Dialogue.

“Any member of the Cabinet who wishes to no longer participate in the IMC will have to provide reasons to the President. Hopefully, they'll also think about the consequences of such insubordination. Because that's how the President will regard any non-participation, as insubordination," Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

Despite the threats, Zille encouraged the presidency to bring it on, asking, ‘What’s he going to do to us for standing up against corruption?’

Zille warns of consequences if the DA is removed

The DA’s Federal Chairperson has also given numerous interviews to media houses about the possibility of the ANC removing the DA from the Government of National Unity. While she said that this was possible, she cautioned against it, saying the president and many ministers know what the consequences would be.

“The rand will crash. We will be lucky if it’s R25 to the dollar. The economy will go into a tailspin. Investors will withdraw and unemployment will increase,” she mentioned.

Zille made the comments during an interview on BizNews on 30 June.

What you need to know about the DA and ANC fallout

• Ramaphosa responded to the DA’s ultimatum as he defended his decision to fire Whitfield.
• The DA opted to withdraw from the upcoming National dialogue, saying it was a waste of time.
• ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, said the DA needed to decide if it wants to remain in the GNU or not.
• Fikile Mbalula said the ANC took the DA’s recent threats about collapsing the GNU very seriously.
• Helen Zille said that the DA had the numbers to collapse the GNU if it needed to.

Zille sends stern warning to Ramaphosa

Briefly News reported that Helen Zille issued a strong warning towards President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Zille said that the DA was not making idle threats, adding that Ramaphosa had reached his second strike.

South Africans weighed in on Zille's comments, with some telling her that she needed to retire.

Source: Briefly News