The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday expressed disappointment with Dr Dion George’s resignation ahead of its Federal Legal Commission's (FLC's) probe into alleged violations of the party’s constitution.

The party’s Federal Executive will on Monday begin with the FLC processes.

Last year, the party’s Federal Executive referred the internal dispute between party leader John Steenhuisen and George to the FLC to institute a full investigation, with particular focus on alleged violations of the DA’s constitution.

The internal dispute was primarily centred around Steenhuisen and the removal of George as Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, which had exposed deeper fractures ahead of the party's 2026 leadership contest.

In November last year, the party said Steenhuisen requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa replace George with Willem Aucamp.

“It is unfortunate that Dr George has resigned before answering a pending disciplinary before the DA’s FLC,” said DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille.

Zille pointed out that George was supposed to answer allegations that staff appointments to his Ministerial office were done in a way that unjustifiably raised their salaries, at public expense.

He was supposed to also answer as to whether staff in his Ministry sought departmental information to pursue internal party-political matters; and whether he brought the party into disrepute through the media.

Zille said it would have been preferable for George to go through the FLC process to test the veracity of these allegations.