By Thuto Mashaba
2025 has proven to be a difficult year for the Democratic Alliance (DA), marked by growing contradictions between its stated values and the lived realities in areas under its control, particularly in the Western Cape.
Despite aggressive lobbying and litigation strategies, the DA and aligned business interests failed to achieve several of their stated political objectives. These include attempts to dismantle Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), weaken South Africa’s BRICS-aligned foreign policy, and gain international traction for claims of so-called “white genocide” — narratives that were increasingly rejected both locally and globally.
Litigation over transformation
One of the defining features of the DA’s 2025 posture has been its preference for courts over political consensus. Where transformation policies are legislated, the party has frequently opted for litigation rather than engagement, reinforcing perceptions that it prioritises established economic interests over inclusive development.
The emerging Starlink controversy illustrates this tension. Allegations of attempts to bypass BEE compliance requirements, alongside investigations involving a DA-linked figure, have raised questions about whether transformation laws are being selectively challenged rather than respected. The denial of concessions to Starlink further exposed the limits of such efforts and their implications for entrenched inequality.
Crime and governance under DA rule
Crime has remained a central challenge in DA-governed areas. Cape Town continues to rank among Africa’s most dangerous cities, with a 2025 crime index of 73.6, driven largely by gang violence in communities such as the Cape Flats. Despite years of DA control, residents in townships continue to experience persistent insecurity, while responsibility is often deflected to national government without sufficient evidence of effective local interventions.
Murder statistics in the Western Cape remain alarming, with nearly 3,000 murders recorded in Cape Town alone. Critics argue that while policing is a national competency, provincial and municipal leadership still bear responsibility for prevention strategies, urban planning, and social interventions.
Township neglect and housing failures
Chronic underdevelopment in townships such as Khayelitsha has continued under DA governance. Inadequate housing, limited services and spatial inequality remain defining features of daily life for many residents. In 2025, evictions from informal settlements without adequate alternative accommodation drew comparisons to apartheid-era forced removals, further fuelling accusations of “spatial apartheid”.
Youth unemployment also remains stubbornly high, reinforcing claims that economic opportunity under DA rule has disproportionately favoured established suburbs over historically marginalised communities.
Internal contradictions and accountability questions
The DA’s internal coherence has also come under strain. Public rejection of Helen Zille at a Johannesburg rally underscored ongoing challenges in connecting with Black voters outside its traditional support base.
The party’s “clean governance” narrative was further tested by a series of controversies, including allegations around foreign-linked funding in Cape Town, questions over disclosure by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, and an internal factional dispute involving John Steenhuisen and former minister Dion George, which raised concerns about financial accountability.
Foreign policy missteps
On foreign policy, the DA’s positioning has increasingly diverged from South Africa’s constitutional and diplomatic framework. Public opposition by senior DA figures to South Africa’s relations with Russia and China, alongside pro-Western and pro-Israel rhetoric, created confusion at a time when the party was participating in the Government of National Unity.
A particularly damaging episode involved Western Cape MEC Ivan Meyer, whose visit to Taiwan — while serving in a provincial executive role — directly contradicted South Africa’s One China Policy. The resulting diplomatic fallout, including sanctions imposed by the Chinese embassy, highlighted the risks of unilateral actions that undermine national foreign policy.
Opposition response
ANC Western Cape leader of the opposition Khalid Sayed said the DA’s record in 2025 had been increasingly exposed through legislative oversight, committee findings and unresolved motions.
“The DA markets itself as constitutional and capable, yet resists legislated transformation, delays delivery and deflects accountability,” Sayed said. “Where transformation is required, it litigates. Where unity is needed, it polarises. Where decisive governance is demanded, it deflects.”
A broader political contrast
While the state of the ANC is often portrayed as terminal by sections of the media, analysts argue that such narratives ignore recent diplomatic and political developments. South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2025 G20, under President Cyril Ramaphosa, has been cited as evidence of continued institutional capacity and international credibility.
The failure of sustained pressure to force South Africa to sever ties with Russia and China, alongside the discrediting of “white genocide” narratives, has reinforced perceptions of national sovereignty and independent foreign policy.
Conclusion
Taken together, the DA’s challenges in 2025 reveal a widening gap between rhetoric and outcomes. Critics argue that the party’s contradictions are not abstract but visible in committee records, oversight reports and the daily experiences of Western Cape residents.
Whether the DA can reconcile its stated constitutional values with inclusive, people-centred governance remains an open question — one that will continue to shape South Africa’s political landscape beyond 2025.