EDITORIAL | A chapter closes for Steenhuisen

Today marks the end of the road for John Steenhuisen as leader of the Democratic Alliance.

Top men and women in the higher echelons of the blue party, in unequivocal terms, told this publication that Steenhuisen will this morning announce he is pulling out of the DA leadership race.

With that act, he will effectively be stepping down as party leader, at least until the next one is elected at federal congress in April.

Those familiar with the internal succession debate say that with Steenhuisen falling by the wayside, opens the way for charismatic Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to be elected unopposed in April.

The lobby to have him run against Steenhuisen intensified in the middle of last year, following several blunders on the DA incumbent’s part.

But because they are close friends, the likeable Cape Town mayor has consistently stated he would not race against his mate, hence the push for the former DA chief whip to step aside.

With that, Steenhuisen achieved what none of his predecessors had obtained ... But it would seem the very same achievement grew to be his Achilles heel.

So how did Steenhuisen find himself here?

He inherited a party in turmoil after the 2019 election when its national support declined to 16%, leading to Mmusi Maimane’s exit.

After he was elected full time as federal leader in 2020, he led the DA into co-leading crucial metro municipalities such as Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, albeit in often unstable and chaotic coalition arrangements.

But his watershed came in 2024 when his party for the first time since 1994, along with Jacob Zuma’s MK party, brought the ANC below 50% of the votes in the National Assembly and in provinces such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Cape. The DA clawed back from 16% to 21%.

With that, Steenhuisen achieved what none of his predecessors had obtained, with the DA now being part of national cabinet under the auspices of the government of national unity where his party controls at least six ministries/departments.

But it would seem the very same achievement grew to be his Achilles heel. From the get-go, there were powerful DA figures opposed to joining the GNU. But Steenhuisen held the line during the GNU formation talks, and the DA joined government.

His detractors argued that joining government was bad for Brand DA, as it would now be seen as an ANC partner.

It did not help that Steenhuisen himself would be embroiled in controversial government appointments, what with his remarkable hiring of right-wing podcaster Roman Cabanac as his chief of staff.

It took members of the DA federal executive to read him the riot act before he would axe Cabanac.

Then he came under fire towards the end of last year as agriculture minister for his poor handling of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Matters came to a head in a public spat with former cabinet minister and party finance chief Dion George over his alleged abuse of a DA-allocated credit card.

Steenhuisen had apparently abused it for his personal and family benefit, including using it to order takeaways on UberEats.

And that’s why we are here. That’s why John “Vuli Gate” Steenhuisen has had to go. The DA could not just stomach it any more.

Was it all worth it, John, with everything you had going for you?

One thing this has proven, the DA is not immune to sins of incumbency!