Former DA finance chair Dion George has suggested party leader John Steenhuisen’s financial vulnerability is what is keeping the party in the government of national unity (GNU).
George, who announced his resignation from the DA in a dramatic eNCA interview, accused Steenhuisen of being “financially vulnerable”, which leaves his integrity as a leader compromised.
“You have got to be able to credibly leave that GNU when the time comes. When you are financially compromised, when you’re living in government accommodation, when you’ve got this vulnerability, it puts the party at risk because what it means is, do you hold onto the GNU even if we should walk out of it, because now the ANC knows you can never leave,” he said.
George read out a lengthy statement during the live TV interview, announcing his resignation.
While he would not call Steenhuisen corrupt, he claimed that financial flaws embattled the DA leader, who is also minister of agriculture.
I think ‘corrupt’ is an emotionally charged word. I think [Steenhuisen] is compromised because he is financially vulnerable. I don’t know the details of his financial affairs.
— Dion George
“I think ‘corrupt’ is an emotionally charged word. I think he is compromised because he is financially vulnerable. I don’t know the details of his financial affairs; I did not leak anything in terms of this R150,000 credit card he didn’t pay; I knew nothing about that.
“I simply answered a question from a journalist who called me and said, ‘Did you take away John’s credit card?’ and they wrote it was the federal finance committee who took away the card, and it wasn’t true; I took away the card. Obviously it was out there. I took it because I had started picking up irregularities which spoke to overspending and abuse of that card.”
A public spat between George and Steenhuisen turned ugly when the party’s financial records and details of Steenhuisen’s spending on his party and personal credit cards were leaked to the media, with some accusing George of being behind the leak.
On Monday, the DA released a statement announcing that a preliminary investigation by the party’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC) had cleared Steenhuisen of misappropriating party funds through the use of his party-issued credit card.
But George maintains this is indicative of a possible cover-up.
“The DA statement said there were limited personal expenses, and he paid back the money.
“When I took away the card at the end of March as the accounting officer, at that point, it was not reconciled. There was a large amount of slips that proved the expenses were outstanding, and they were expenses for which that card was not intended. When I put my complaint to the FLC, I said ‘misappropriation’, and they took a narrow definition. It’s definitely misuse.
That report was the final straw. I do believe that any business or organisation that would do that is to move to protect and defend itself because here you are talking about the leader
— Dion George
“Any company in the world will tell you, if I give you a credit card and you use it for entertaining people, then that’s fine, but you can’t go use it for personal expenses. The expenses I was concerned about were on Uber Eats, petrol, car rental and hotel accommodation. Those things are catered for by the party. And Uber Eats, certainly not.
“That was my concern, and remember the end of the financial year is at the end of March, so we can’t go across a financial year with these things outstanding, so that’s why I took it then. I said to the auditor, ‘I’m taking it away, and I’m concerned about expenses and reconciliation’.”
George said he has not seen the FLC report and doesn’t know who did the reconciliation of receipts.
He said the animosity around this contentious report was the straw that broke the camel’s back, leading to the termination of his 31-year membership of the organisation.
“That’s why I’m leaving now; that report was the final straw. I believe any business or organisation that would do that is moving to protect and defend itself because here you are talking about the leader.”
George blatantly accused Steenhuisen of being firmly captured, decrying how he believes the DA is struggling to define its voice in the GNU.
“The ANC still thinks it’s still in control of everything. I was in cabinet, I can’t say anything about it because I’m not permitted to do that. It would not be legal.
“But I was there, and I could see the dynamic. The DA is a small part of the GNU. The DA has not got a strong voice at all; it gets some things done but not much. When I talk about capture, if you are going to hold the GNU to account and you are the DA, you must be able to be prepared to leave that GNU when the time comes.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.