DA Calls for New Chapter Nine Anti-Corruption Body, Wants IDAC Disbanded
- The Democratic Alliance proposed creating a standalone anti-corruption commission outside the NPA with full budgetary independence
- DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach argued the new body should be established through its own legislation to block political interference
- The party took a firm stance on IDAC, insisting the directorate cannot be salvaged through reform
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Democratic Alliance has on 3 August 2026 called for an entirely new Chapter Nine institution to be created to tackle corruption, insisting that the country cannot rely on the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to do the job effectively.
According to eNCA, DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach put forward the proposal on behalf of the party, arguing that a dedicated body established through its own legislation would be the most effective way to insulate investigators from political pressure.
Under the DA's proposal, the commission would exercise full control over its own budget, offer security of tenure to its staff, and hold the authority to prosecute both corruption and organised crime without interference. The DA's proposal comes in the wake of IDAC troubles, including the resignation of Andrea Johnson as its head.
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DA's case for a standalone commission
The party has consistently argued that any meaningful anti-corruption body must operate independently of the National Prosecuting Authority. While the DA has acknowledged that some existing efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption are a step in the right direction, it maintains that those measures fall short of what is required. Central to the party's position is that Chapter Nine status would provide the kind of structural protection needed to ensure the proposed commission could function without fear, favour, or prejudice.
IDAC beyond repair, says DA
The DA also directed pointed criticism at IDAC, arguing that reforming it is not a viable option. Breytenbach stated that IDAC's credibility has been so severely compromised that it is beyond repair, saying "no band-aid is big enough to fix the entity."
Rather than attempting to rehabilitate the directorate, the party maintains that disbanding IDAC entirely and replacing it with a fully independent, standalone body is the only credible path forward to pursue corruption in any meaningful way. The call represents the DA's clearest articulation yet of its preferred model for anti-corruption architecture in South Africa, placing it at odds with those who favour reforming structures already in place.
DA pleads with Ramaphosa for Police Minister
In a related article, Briefly News reported on Democratic Alliance Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis's call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a permanent Minister of Police. This demand is positioned within the context of South Africa's escalating crime crisis, exacerbated by the absence of stable leadership in the police sector.
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Source: Briefly News
