DA under fire: Travel scandals and governance challenges in the GNU
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is currently facing backlash over controversial international travel expenses.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Premier Alan Winde and Minister Dean Macpherson are facing significant backlash over their international travel expenses, leading the Democratic Alliance (DA) to experience criticism it once directed at others.
Winde is under pressure to resign immediately following findings from the Provincial Legislature’s Conduct Committee, which revealed that he violated the Code of Conduct by failing to declare sponsored foreign travel to the United States.
Caucus in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature said the committee confirmed that Winde had violated Paragraphs 12(9) and 3(7) of the Code by not declaring the sponsored trip in the Register of Members’ Interests.
The ANC's Khalid Sayed, the leader of the opposition in the Western Cape, described the outcome as "a victory for ANC-led public accountability and oversight in the provincial government and the provincial legislature".
Sayed said the finding highlighted deeper governance problems under the DA administration.
“The premier’s double standards and delinquency once again demonstrates his lack of respect for the institutions of our democracy and that he is reluctantly subjecting himself to the scrutiny and oversight of the provincial legislature and its committees.
“The ANC Caucus reaffirms its calls that the premier must do the honourable thing and resign with immediate effect,” Sayed said.
ActionSA has also called on Macpherson, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, to repay R839,000 in taxpayer money allegedly splurged on a trip to Brazil accompanied by his partner, despite reportedly being given legal guidance advising against the partner’s travel.
“This latest scandal comes on the back of the Minister already racking up R3.2 million in travel expenses (as of June 2025), part of a staggering R448 million spent on travel by the broader GNU.
“At a time when South Africans are battling rising costs, collapsing infrastructure and unreliable service delivery, this level of excess is indefensible,” ActionSA Member of Parliament, Malebo Kobe, said.
In June of last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa also removed Andrew Whitfield from the position of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition because he undertook an international visit without the president's permission.
Professor Dirk Kotzé from the University of South Africa agreed with the point that the DA is now finding itself on the receiving end of criticism they previously dispensed, but that these examples show that they need to ensure they tighten their understanding of the rules and regulations.
“I think they have to make sure about the manner in which they deal with issues like this and follow the different regulations or ministerial handbooks,” Kotzé said.
Professor Bheki Mngomezulu from Nelson Mandela University said that while the travel scandals do not paint a good look for the party, the DA is no longer the opposition and is part of the multi-party coalition.
“While the ANC in the Western Cape is calling for Alan Winde to resign, I don't think that it will work because the ANC is a political party, and the DA is a political party, and if they feel aggrieved by what Alan Winde is doing, they have proper channels that they can follow.
“I think that there is party politics on the one hand, but there is also government politics on the other. So the latter takes precedent, because these political parties are also supposed to get marching orders from the government,” Mngomezulu said.