Democratic Alliance
Cuthbert filled the position nearly five years after the previous CEO Simon Dickinson resigned following a year in the role. During his speech in his hometown of Durban, Steenhuisen highlighted the major success of the DA, under his leadership, of joining the ruling national government for the first time, after the party played a major role in the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU). The ANC failed to gain a majority of seats in the National Assembly after the election, leading to the DA agreeing to form a coalition of national unity (Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa), entering ruling government for the first time. In 2013, the DA launched the "Know Your DA" campaign, in an attempt to try to show that the DA (via its proxy predecessor organisations) was involved in the struggle against apartheid.
In the general elections villa grigio of 2019, the DA's national support declined for the first time in its history. The campaign received a certain amount of media attention, much of it somewhat sceptical. In her newsletter, she wrote that, "winning power in the Western Cape will allow us to show what cooperative governance between local authorities and a province can achieve." In the 2011 local government elections, the party won control of most of the municipalities in the Western Cape. Zille said the new DA would be, "more reflective of our rich racial, linguistic, and cultural heritage," and emphasized that she wanted it to be a "party for all the people" and not decline into a "shrinking, irrelevant minority."
The party's health policy also plans to devote more resources to vaccinations against common childhood illnesses. The DA's "Quality Care for All" programme is focused on tackling the country's high HIV/AIDS infection rate. The DA supports guaranteed access to a core minimum of resources for each school, proper state school nutrition schemes for grade 1–12 learners, and measures to train 30,000 additional teachers per year. The DA's education programme, "Preparing for Success", focuses on providing adequate physical and human resources to underperforming schools. The party also supports a universal old age pension, and the abolishment of pension means tests.
The DA supports an inflation-targeting monetary policy regime similar to that of the ANC government. Other fiscal interventions have included a proposed scrapping of value added tax (VAT) on books and tax rebates for crime prevention expenditure by businesses. This is evident in the party's previous alternative budget frameworks, with both alternative budgets posting deficits.
Having gone into opposition in the Western Cape in 2001 when the NNP formed a new coalition with the ANC, the demise of the NNP made the province a natural target for the party. The party also became kingmakers in the Western Cape province, where it formed a coalition government with the NNP. The modern day DA is in large part a product of the white parliamentary opposition to the ruling National Party. The party has also governed the Western Cape, one of the country's nine provinces, with a majority since the 2009 general election. The current leader of the party is Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who assumed leadership on 12 April 2026, after the party's Federal Congress. The DA has a variety of ideologically liberal tendencies, including neoliberalism, social liberalism, classical liberalism, and conservative liberalism.
Social development
- In May 2026, the party set out a 100-day crime plan that included lifestyle audits of police officers, rebuilding Crime Intelligence and giving local governments a greater role in crime prevention.
- In the general elections of 2019, the DA's national support declined for the first time in its history.
- The modern day DA is in large part a product of the white parliamentary opposition to the ruling National Party.
- Under the programme, 20,000 scholarships will be awarded to students at all public-sector universities in Sindh.
- However, the DA, like the ANC, supports a two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, seeking peaceful resolution between the two, and for Palestine to be free, saying "the people of Palestine are not defined by Hamas".
- This is evident in the party's previous alternative budget frameworks, with both alternative budgets posting deficits.
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A legacy of leadership The Democratic Alliance did not become the party it is today by accident. Johannesburg is a city of incredible people and untapped potential. When municipalities collapse, crime thrives. Welcome to the DA’s dedicated page for our role in the Government of National Unity (GNU). Law enforcement official Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi reportedly also accused the party Spokesperson on State Security, Dianne Kohler Barnard, of being a part of a crime syndicate.
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This formed the basis of the philosophy underlying the party's 2009 Election Manifesto, which seeks to build a society by linking outcomes to "opportunity, effort and ability". Former party leader Helen Zille has argued that this stands in direct contrast to the ruling ANC's approach to governance, which she maintains has led to a "closed, crony society for some". In June 2026, the party's head of policy and Member of Parliament Mathew Cuthbert was appointed the party's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The party's Gauteng provincial leader Solly Msimanga was elected Federal Chairperson, the party's second-highest position, having defeated incumbent Ivan Meyer. On 4 February 2026, DA Leader John Steenhuisen announced that he would be stepping down from his party leadership role, to focus exclusively on his portfolio as Minister of Agriculture. The party retained control of the Western Cape but with a reduced majority and failed to win Gauteng once again.
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During this time, the party was led by liberal-minded opponents of Apartheid, such as Jan Steytler, Helen Suzman, Zach de Beer, Colin Eglin, Frederik van Zyl Slabbert and Harry Schwarz. The restaurant is not available for this day/time. The DA Abroad aims to grow the DA's overseas voter base, actively lobby for international awareness and influence for the furtherance of policies and action programmes of the DA and develop a global interconnected community that supports an open opportunity society for all. However, the DA, like the ANC, supports a two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, seeking peaceful resolution between the two, and for Palestine to be free, saying "the people of Palestine are not defined by Hamas". These interventions include a wage subsidy programme to reduce the cost of hiring first-time workers.
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The ANC issued a detailed critique of the campaign, focusing especially on Suzman's role in the apartheid parliament. In May 2026, the party set out a 100-day crime plan that included lifestyle audits of police officers, rebuilding Crime Intelligence and giving local governments a greater role in crime prevention. Partially on the basis of this campaign the DA contested the 2014 general election, where it once again grew its support base but failed in its stated goal of winning Gauteng province. This campaign focused mainly on the role played by a few key individuals in opposing apartheid – particularly Helen Suzman and Helen Zille.
The party, considered to be South Africa's most diverse in terms of membership and voters, draws its support predominantly from Afrikaans and English speakers, people aged over 35, as well as white South Africans, Indian/Asian communities, and Coloured communities. Download Da Fit today and take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Get a complete overview of your body condition with detailed health metrics and trends. Monitor your sleep patterns and quality to ensure you wake up feeling refreshed every day. Track every movement with precision and get detailed insights into your daily activities. Download Da Fit today and connect your smartwatch for comprehensive health monitoring and tracking.
