Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has been deliberately excluded from the party’s coalition negotiations team. This decision aligns with a party rule that prevents the leader from engaging in negotiations that could personally implicate him.
The announcement was made on Sunday, with the party appointing a panel of experienced members for the task. The negotiation team includes Helen Zille, Tony Leon, Ivan Meyer, and Allan Winde.
This team will engage with various political organizations to form a new government following the African National Congress (ANC) failing to secure a majority in the 2024 National and Provincial elections.
Siviwe Gwarube, a prominent DA member, explained the rationale behind this decision, stating, “There is a rule in our political party that a leader does not negotiate a deal that would implicate him in any way, and that’s why he’s delegated this to the federal executive,
“The federal executive made the decision today [Sunday] to appoint a panel of people who are experienced, who can essentially start to also look at how best we can put the interests of South Africans first.”
The DA aims to prioritize the interests of South Africans in these coalition talks, focusing on creating a stable and effective government.
