DA opposes EFF bid to oust speaker Thoko Didiza
The DA will vote against the EFF’s motion of no confidence in National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, despite having previously criticised her handling of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment proceedings.
DA parliamentary leader George Michalakis said the party believed removing Didiza would be “premature” and would not be the right way to strengthen parliament.
In a statement on Wednesday, Michalakis said he had met with Didiza on August 11 and raised concerns about parliament’s leadership and institutional effectiveness.
The two subsequently agreed on a number of areas for reform, including:
Michalakis also called for a broader, multiparty review of parliament’s functioning and the appointment of office bearers 30 years after the adoption of the Constitution.
The DA will vote against the EFF’s motion of no confidence in National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, despite having previously criticised her handling of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment proceedings. Link in comments. pic.twitter.com/Kic3gl0s4E— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) August 26, 2026
The numbers give the GNU parties a substantial majority, though the GNU is not a formal voting bloc and individual parties remain free to take their own positions on parliamentary motions
“I trust we will continue to engage the Speaker on these matters,” he said. “She has the support of the DA in this and I hope her own party will equally back her in making parliament more effective.”
The EFF’s motion, tabled by party leader Julius Malema in June, centres largely on Didiza’s decision not to oppose Ramaphosa’s urgent high court application to interdict the parliamentary impeachment process.
The National Assembly is due to vote on the motion at 2pm on Wednesday.
On current parliamentary numbers, the 10 parties that make up the government of national unity (GNU) collectively hold 287 of the National Assembly’s 400 seats. The GNU comprises the ANC (159), DA (87), IFP (17), Patriotic Alliance (nine), FF Plus (six), UDM (three), Rise Mzansi (two), Al Jama-ah (two), PAC (one) and GOOD (one).
The non-GNU parties collectively hold 113 seats: the MK Party has 58, the EFF 39, ActionSA six, the ACDP three, ATM two, Bosa two, the National Coloured Congress two and UAT one.
The numbers give the GNU parties a substantial majority, though the GNU is not a formal voting bloc and individual parties remain free to take their own positions on parliamentary motions.