DA

About the party

The Democratic Alliance (DA) was formed on June 24, 2000, after the Democratic Party (DP) and the New National Party (NNP) merged to form an opposition against the African National Congress (ANC). The party has since expanded its municipal governance across South Africa in subsequent local government elections.Following an acrimonious breakaway from the NNP in 2006, the DA received 16.3% of the vote in the municipal elections, winning the City of Cape Town from the ANC with Helen Zille becomimg mayor via a multi-party coalition.In the 2011 municipal election, the DA grew its vote share, winning 1,555 seats across the Western Cape and nationally, and securing Cape Town with an outright majority.In the 2016 local government election, the DA unseated the ANC to govern major economic hubs—including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay—through a series of coalitions.In 2021, the DA successfully defended Cape Town and entered coalitions in hung councils, making inroads into smaller municipalities outside its traditional strongholds.