By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former President Thabo Mbeki has slammed the Democratic Alliance (DA) withdrawal to participate in the National Dialogue, scheduled for 15 August 2025.
The DA’s withdrawal followed the removal of its member, Andrew Whitfield, as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
In an 11-page open letter addressed to DA leader John Steenhuisen, Mbeki described the party’s move as ‘misplaced and very strange indeed’.
Mbeki accused the DA leadership of political inconsistency, explaining why the Dialogue is legitimate and necessary.
Mbeki described the party’s actions as both misguided and disrespectful to the South African public, dismissing the DA’s claim that the dialogue was merely an ANC election campaign platform.
It is very good that, at last, Ms Helen Zille has openly expressed her eminently arrogant and contemptuous view of the masses of the people, that these cannot think and plan their future correctly, without the DA!,” said Mbeki.
He added : “Whether I would agree with such a decision or not, I would have found it logical if you and the DA had decided to withdraw from the GNU. To the contrary, I consider the decision of the DA not to participate in the National Dialogue as both misplaced and very strange indeed.”
He went on to detail the history and independence of the National Dialogue, tracing it to his April 30, 2024, speech at Freedom Park, where he called for “a new and truly inclusive National Dialogue to answer the question – what is to be done?”
He stressed that the dialogue is not ANC-led or government-controlled, but is being organised by the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (NFDI) , a body formed in 2016 by several prominent civil society organisations and foundations, including those named after FW de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, Helen Suzman, Desmond and Leah Tutu, Kgalema Motlanthe and Robert Sobukwe.
He explained that while the ANC supported the idea of a dialogue, he personally advised the party that civil society would reject any process controlled by political parties or government.
Mbeki described the current Preparatory Task Team (PTT) as a temporary body made up of over 50 civil society organisations, the NEDLAC secretariat, and four Presidency officials. The PTT will dissolve once the citizen-led National Convention convenes at NASREC from August 15–17, 2025, he said.
He further clarified that day-to-day operations for the Dialogue have been handled by unpaid volunteers and the costs have so far been covered by the foundations themselves. He called on National Treasury to contribute the necessary funding, supplemented by private donations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reacted to Mbeki’s sentiments.
Ramaphosa has strongly criticised the DA, accusing the party of hypocrisy after it pulled out of the much-anticipated national dialogue.
Addressing the matter at a press conference held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria alongside Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Ramaphosa described the DA’s withdrawal from the dialogue as both “unfortunate” and a “real shock to me”.
He reminded the DA that all participating parties had agreed to the dialogue process when signing the GNU statement of intent.
“Every party signed to that, and it is rather surprising to hear a leader of the Democratic Alliance saying they never agreed to that in the first place.”
“That is the worst form of hypocrisy that I’ve ever heard,” the president said, in the presence of Steenhuisen.
In response Steenhuisen questioned the timing and setting of Ramaphosa’s remarks.
“I don’t think that intemperate attacks on a public platform when you have a visiting head of state next to you is the appropriate forum to do that,” he told the media.
The DA leader said he intended to discuss with the president his appointment to the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) overseeing the national dialogue.
“I never asked to be on the IMC.”
Responding to Mbeki’s letter, Steenhuisen claimed the dialogue was “an inside closed shop deal with the ANC.”
“Clearly, there’s been a free flow of information, meetings, discussions around budgets and etc. that have not even taken place with members of the government of national unity.