Ramaphosa draws line in sand, says DA must make a decision on where it stands

JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has drawn a line in the sand, telling the African National Congress (ANC) that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has placed itself in an unenviable position.

EWN has heard leaked audio of both the president and his deputy, Paul Mashatile, addressing ANC caucus members on Tuesday night.

Parliament is expected to vote on the 2025 budget on Wednesday afternoon.

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Ramaphosa said that he told Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, that his party had hit a wall and it was now up to them to find their way out.

The two parties have deadlocked over the budget policy statement, with some in the ANC calling for the DA to leave if it can't support a GNU budget.

Never disrupt your adversaries while they are busy making mistakes – this is the cautionary tale that ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa told members of his party as he made it clear that he believed the DA has already defined itself outside of the GNU.

Ramaphosa shared insights on his conversations with Steenhuisen, including criticising the DA for wanting to be both in government and its opposition at the same time.

The president said that the DA must make a decision on Wednesday, which will define where it stands.

Mashatile said that if the DA refused to support the budget, then it did not deserve to be in the GNU.

He equated this to the party firing itself, further questioning how it would enjoy implementing programmes from a budget it opposed.

Parliament's vote on the budget on Wednesday afternoon will be seen as a crucial test for the GNU.

That session will kick off at 2pm.