DA paid Dubai-based consultancy over R7.7 million for GNU operations management
via The Namibian12 min read
The Democratic Alliance DA entered into a confidential contract with Dubai-based advisory firm Consulum, led by Ryan Coetzee, to manage its operations within the Government of National Unity GNU. This agreement, valued at over $470,000 approximately R7.8 million for six months, ran from September 2024 to February 2025 and was subsequently extended. Consulum's responsibilities included developing strategies for DA ministers, managing communications, training political staff, and chairing meetings of the DA's GNU caucus. Ryan Coetzee, who was CEO of Consulum at the time, played a key role in negotiating the DA's entry into the GNU. He was still marketed as Consulum's CEO more than three months into the DA contract, with his directorship formally ending in June 2025. This arrangement has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the DA's relationship with lobbyists, particularly given Consulum's past work for controversial clients like the Saudi regime and the Hong Kong government. DA MPs have expressed concern over Coetzee's influence, which reportedly extends beyond coordination to conducting performance reviews of ministers and interviewing prospective executive appointees. While the DA, through spokesperson Jan de Villiers, denied any conflicts of interest and stated that few individuals in the party would have an issue with Coetzee, some insiders suggest his authority has expanded significantly beyond his unelected status. Coetzee himself stated he was cont
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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