BNC#7: Helen Zille - The new global order; the DA's role in the GNU; and the future of South Africa

In the opening address of the seventh BizNews Conference BNC#7, Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille, delivered a hard-hitting speech, dissecting the shifting global order and South Africa’s precarious position within it. From the rise of geopolitical oligarchs—Trump, Putin, and Xi—to the ANC’s foreign policy missteps, Zille laid bare the challenges ahead. She championed the DA’s role in the Government of National Unity (GNU) as a necessary bulwark against state collapse, urging South Africans to embrace liberal democracy as the only viable path forward.

Following her keynote address, Zille sat down with BizNews founder Alec Hogg to tackle tough questions on coalition politics, the DA’s leverage in budget negotiations, and South Africa’s foreign policy missteps. She warned of the ANC’s devious negotiation tactics, outlined the DA’s fight against reckless government spending, and explained why aligning with Iran could have devastating consequences for the country. Addressing concerns from the BNC#7 delegates about the GNU’s risks for the DA, Zille made it clear: strategic muscle and principled governance are key to shaping South Africa’s future.