George says DA will do anything to stay in the GNU

Former Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Finance Chairperson Dion George has accused the party of being beholden to the African National Congress (ANC), saying it's willing to do anything to stay in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

George resigned from the DA on Thursday, bringing an end to his 31-year association with the party.

His resignation follows a bitter public spat between him and the party’s leader, John Steenhuisen.

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In his resignation letter, George accuses Steenhuisen of muzzling the party’s parliamentary caucus on speaking out against the country’s race laws and foreign policy.

He says the party has compromised its principles and values at the expense of staying in the GNU.

However, political analyst Levy Ndou says this sounds like sour grapes from George, as he never vocalised these issues when he was still a minister within the GNU.

“If the GNU was good at the time he was serving it, what makes it bad now that he’s no longer in the GNU? That’s why I’m saying we shouldn’t take that as a genuine reason; it’s just convenient,” Ndou said.

Responding to George’s resignation, the DA says it’s unfortunate he left before his disciplinary hearing, where he was facing allegations of bringing the party into disrepute, among other things.