South Africa’s DA prepares no confidence motion against President Ramaphosa

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has revealed it is prepared to table a motion of no-confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa after he dismisses DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield for taking an unauthorised trip to the United States. DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille told reporters this “nuclear option” could potentially bring down the government if pursued—and if parliamentary support materialises.

According to the SABC, Zille characterised Whitfield’s firing as a case of “double standards,” accusing Ramaphosa of taking a hard line against DA members while allegedly ignoring corruption within his party ranks.  She warned the motion is no idle threat: “We certainly have a motion of no confidence … up our sleeve,” she said, adding that they have “counted heads” and believe they can secure 196 to 197 votes in the 400-member National Assembly.

While the DA has temporarily withdrawn from the National Dialogue, Zille emphasized that leaving the Government of National Unity (GNU) is not yet on the table. Instead, the party intends to exhaust all other options before deploying the motion, which she described as a measure of last resort. ActionSA has expressed caution, saying it will only back the motion if justified, and GOOD Party has dismissed the move outright.

Andrew Whitfield was removed from his post after travelling to the U.S. without receiving a timely response to his travel request, despite following administrative protocol. Meanwhile, no similar action was taken against several ANC ministers facing corruption allegations, fueling DA accusations of bias. The DA has not yet formally tabled the motion, but remains committed to holding the ANC-led coalition accountable. The next trigger point will be whether they secure backing from other parties in Parliament—and whether ramaphosa and ANC leadership seek to defuse the tension through negotiation or counter-measures.