Honourable Mr Steenhuisen,
While I was on a working visit to Sri Lanka, I received news that you had announced that the Democratic Alliance would no longer participate in the forthcoming National Dialogue. As I understand it, this decision derived from the sacking from Government of Mr Andrew Whitfield, a DA member who was serving as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. You objected to this decision by the Head of the GNU, President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying that the expulsion of Mr Whitfield from Government was “excessive” considering that ‘President Ramaphosa had not acted against those implicated in wrong-doing by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.” Later, you said that the “DA calls on the President (Ramaphosa) to fire (Ministers) Simelane, Nkabane and Mahlobo, and other ANC Ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours.” When President Ramaphosa did not act as requested, you said, among others: “Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own Coalition Partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue… “Effective immediately, the DA will therefore have no further part in this process. We will also actively mobilise against it…starting with a call on civil society to join us in demanding that the National Dialogue not proceed until …