DA tones down so GNU can survive

Where is the DA and what have you done with it?

That might well be the questions some of the party’s concerned voters could be asking after its actions in the past fortnight.

Most prominently, after implying that they would fight to the last breath to oppose the new Basic Education Law Amendment (Bela), the DA seemed to be opting for the whimper, rather than the bang, way of voicing its feelings.

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill into law on Friday and the best the DA could do was to have Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube boycott the signing ceremony.

A strangely subdued and conciliatory party federal chair Helen Zille was direct in saying that the Bela trouble would not bring down the government of national unity (GNU).

Then, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen effectively fired his chief of staff, controversial right-wing YouTuber Roman Cabanac.

Hardly had he left the building, than the DA announced it had stripped party membership from another “podcast bro”, Renaldo Gouws, following allegedly racist content he posted more than a decade ago in social media.

So, what is going on?

Clearly, the DA is taking a long view and toning down some of its rhetoric to ensure the survival of the GNU.

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