Cosatu Slams Ramaphosa’s DA Praise: ‘DA is Serving a Minority’ as Alliance Tensions Flare

DA leader Hellen Zille posted this picture on her Xpage to get back at President Cyril Ramaphosa following his statements over ANC Councillors incompetence comaparing them to DA Councillors who are competent at DA's controlled municipalities.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions(COSATU), a key alliance partner of the African National Congress (ANC), has strongly criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa for highlighting Democratic Alliance (DA)-led municipalities like Cape Town and Stellenbosch as examples worth following.

Ramaphosa’s comments, made during an ANC councillor gathering ahead of the 2026 local elections, have sparked intense backlash within the tripartite alliance, exposing fault lines over service delivery and coalition politics.

Ramaphosa had stated, “I can name it here because there's nothing wrong with competition. They are often DA-controlled municipalities. We need to ask ourselves, what is it that they are doing that is better than what we are doing?”

But Cosatu’s first deputy president, Mike Shingange, dismissed this comparison as “unfortunate,” arguing service delivery in Cape Town is starkly unequal. Shingange contended the DA focuses on servicing minority populations, maintaining affluent areas like central Cape Town while neglecting townships like Khayelitsha.

Shingange emphasized it’s unfair to compare DA-run municipalities with ANC-led areas like Tzaneen or Soweto, which grapple with poverty and revenue challenges. “The DA, unlike the ANC, is servicing the minority population of this country,” he said, adding the DA’s mandate appears geared toward maintaining the status quo in well-developed areas rather than addressing broader inequality.

Cosatu views Ramaphosa’s remarks as undermining the ANC and its allies, particularly amid pressing service delivery challenges and coalition tensions.

The criticism reflects broader strains within the alliance, with some labeling Ramaphosa’s praise of DA municipalities a “greatest betrayal” and sabotage, strengthening opposition narratives.

ANC stalwart Tony Yengeni wasn’t mincing words, criticizing the move as harmful to the party’s interests. Meanwhile, the DA welcomed Ramaphosa’s comments, sparking further accusations of “liberal arrogance” from ANC quarters.

As the 2026 elections loom, Ramaphosa’s comments have spotlighted intra-ANC alliance fractures and debates on service delivery, competition, and political strategy in South Africa’s complex coalition landscape.

DA leader Hellen Zille posted another picture on her Xpage to get back at President Cyril Ramaphosa following his statements over ANC Councillors incompetence comaparing them to DA Councillors who are competent at DA's controlled municipalities.

ANC councillor gathering ahead of the 2026 local elections.