Yesterday, John Steenhuisen released a statement warning the ANC that the BELA Act, to be signed into law tomorrow, will jeopardise the national coalition government.

But this seemingly populist statement, which the vast majority of the DA's electoral base clearly agree with, is contradicted by their own cabinet ministers. In fact, Siviwe Gwarube, the DA’s minister of basic education was extremely enthusiastic to enforce the law:

"Ours is not to listen to the political noise out there. We are professionals. If the bill is signed, we implement it. That's it […] the legislation is not only important, it is incredibly useful for us to achieve some of those things we put down here. It is incredibly useful because when we are talking about the universal access of Grade R, those are things that are contained in the legislation."

Nor is this the first time the DA have buckled before a major destructive mandates from the ANC - in the first four months, the DA have turned a blind eye to race laws and grand corruption (namely the president himself), ditched policing devolution, and now buckled before three acts of parliament which threaten fundamental freedoms of the citizenry.

They enthusiastically supported the totalitarian Climate Change Act, which gives the Minister new powers to personally interfere with any company of his choosing and impose any harsh production target, no matter how arbitrary, on any sector, region, or individual.

They have also backed off the opposition to the NHI, which is universally recognised to be an existential disaster. While Helen Zille denied this on X shortly afterwards, her record as an honest representative of DA policy is in doubt - after all, just a week before forming a government with the ANC, she took Sunday World to the press ombudsman over claims that they were considering a coalition, despite years upon years of statements from every major DA leader supporting their claim.

The reason for the opposition to the BELA Act is quite clear - no school may form its own policies, and the parents' objections in the school governing bodies will be silenced. Homeschooling will be made prohibitively expensive and difficult, and it is clear from the words of the Bill's supporters, such as Panyaza Lesufi, that they will use these powers to expunge Afrikaans as a medium of instruction across the country.

While the Solidariteit Movement has been geared up to reject this bill and attack it in the courts, they face an uphill battle, with not only the ANC and DA behind the new centralising reforms, but also an army of foreign-funded NGOs taking state funding both directly and indirectly from the EU, United States, and UK.

Dirk Hermann of Solidariteit:

“BELA was anxiously steamrollered through shortly before the election, because the ANC knew they would not have enough support for it after the election. Now Ramaphosa, as if he has all the power, wants to sign the law as president of the GNU while, in reality, the ANC’s support dropped to 40% in the election. We were also involved in various discussions with the DA and the FF+, and they too identified it as a red line – thus a matter of serious concern. Now we see how the president is challenging that red line, as well as the consensus that was established with the establishment of the GNU. We made a clear appeal to those political parties who are partners in the GNU. It is not only about being against the signing. I also believe it is necessary for them to declare a dispute about it. Such an urgent dispute can also provide an indication of how disputes in the GNU will be dealt with in the future.”

The DA, however, are hamstrung. They have committed themselves to this coalition on the basis that it is existentially necessary, and have left themselves absolutely no room for manoevre. By selling their constituents out for a seat in cabinet, the party has also broken the taboo against using the ANC for triangulation in local government coalitions, giving smaller parties to their right free rein to reject their bullying tactics and corruption in the Cape.

What the DA have done, is taken a slow poison that will dissolve all their credibility, as the ANC walks over everything they promised their voters.

The only question here is whether the other parties will take the hint and leave, and capitalise on the new opening on the right. While no party is likely to shift the ANC's stance on key issues, the DA will risk bleeding out if they continue to support the ANC, and in the lead-up to 2026, conservatives and secessionists (especially the VF+) have a once in a lifetime opportunity to move first and take sizeable permanent gains.