Democratic Alliance (DA)

Founded: 2000.

South African opposition party that contested the 2024 national election on a "Rescue Plan for South Africa" platform and entered the Government of National Unity after that election. Its 2024 manifesto is organised around six areas — jobs, electricity, crime, the civil service, education and healthcare — and argues for private-sector participation, a looser labour market, non-racial redress measures and the devolution of certain policing functions.

Official website: https://www.da.org.za/

Not yet reviewed by a human. These positions were placed by reading the sources below; each one links to the document it came from.

11 of 15 axes have a cited position. Axes without a published position are marked as such and are never scored.

Positions

Economy: state or market — +1.25

State-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.Market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

Leaning towards: market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

The DA will secure our country's power supply and end load-shedding by breaking up the Eskom monopoly and enabling increased self-generation among consumers, businesses, and municipalities in good standing.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Electricity (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Land reform and expropriation — +1.50

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Leaning towards: strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

In contrast, the DA would protect property rights as enshrined in the Constitution and expand land ownership by prioritising land reform in the budget.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Land reform (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

BEE and race-based redress — +1.75

Race-based redress expanded: BEE, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.Race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

Race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

The time has come to empower people based on material disadvantage, not skin colour. To rescue South Africans from poverty and inequality, we need to remove race as a consideration in policy and legislation, increase the child grant to the food poverty line, and expand the basket of essential food items exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT).

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Redress and economic inclusion (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Labour market — +1.50

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.Flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

Leaning towards: flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

The DA plans to create more jobs for our youth by introducing a Youth Employment Opportunity Certificate. The certificate will empower young people to break free from the constraints of the minimum wage, giving them better chances of finding jobs.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Jobs: Youth Employment Opportunity Certificate (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Healthcare and NHI — +0.75

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.Private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Leaning towards: private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

We need to reject the NHI in favour of the DA's Universal Healthcare Coverage model, which aims to increase access to services in both the public and private health sectors, improve the existing healthcare system, and guarantee a basic level of care to all people.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Healthcare (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Education — +0.25

State-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.Parental choice: independent schools, charter-type models and market mechanisms in education.

Between the two poles

The DA is dedicated to expanding the availability of quality education while preserving and not interfering with pockets of excellence in the existing system. We will prioritise the improvement of the public education system while remaining open to opportunities for collaboration with the private sector.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Education (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Crime and policing — +1.00

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.Prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Leaning towards: prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Create a new, independent crime-busting institution to ensure criminals are put behind bars. Devolve policing powers to competent provincial and local governments.

2024 National Manifesto — Our 2024 National Rescue Plan , Crime (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Immigration — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Energy and climate — -1.00

Rapid decarbonisation: coal phase-out, renewable generation and climate commitments prioritised.Energy security first: continued coal, gas or nuclear generation and a slower transition.

Leaning towards: rapid decarbonisation: coal phase-out, renewable generation and climate commitments prioritised.

Committing to achieving net zero carbon emissions to reduce the impact of energy generation on the climate. We will achieve this by diversifying the energy mix.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Electricity: renewable energy (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Federalism and devolution — +1.50

Centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.Devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

Leaning towards: devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

A DA government will decentralise policing to capable provinces to effectively fight crime and protect citizens. This will involve devolving specific policing management and governance functions to competent local and provincial government while maintaining a national police force.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Crime: The decentralisation of policing (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Traditional leadership — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Social values — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Foreign policy — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Anti-corruption and governance — -1.50

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.Smaller state machinery: fewer new bodies and regulations, with corruption handled through existing criminal law and the courts.

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.

Establishing a genuinely independent anti-crime and anti-corruption unit by dissolving the Hawks and establishing a new Chapter 9, Anti-Corruption Commission. This institution will be accountable only to Parliament.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Courts and the criminal justice system (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)

Local service delivery — +0.50

Centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.Municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Between the two poles

Ensuring municipalities in good financial standing are incentivised through an enabling regulatory environment to generate and buy their own electricity.

The DA's Rescue Plan for South Africa: Election Manifesto 2024 , Electricity (manifesto, 2024-02-20; accessed 2026-10-18)