Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen is said to have committed a series of blunders which resulted in the loss of confidence by party heavyweights as well as its funders, according to insiders.
.
The Sunday Times understands that the decision by Steenhuisen to withdraw from the party’s elections came after talks with his inner circle, including public works minister Dean McPherson, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and home affairs minister Leon Schreiber.
Some insiders said that while Steenhuisen had previously received a resounding endorsement from the DA’s funders, they had retreated from this decision over the past few months.
One insider said that the funders were now seeking a new face to lead the country should it manage to gain enough votes in 2029.
Steenhuisen has been at odds with President Cyril Ramaphosa following the DA’s objections to the planned increased in VAT, which led to parliament postponing the budget speech last year.
In an interview with journalist Mandy Wiener earlier this year, Ramaphosa raised his frustration about Steenhuisen, claiming that the DA was acting as an opposition in government. Ramaphosa compared Steenhuisen to Roelf Meyer, who, during the Codesa negotiations, formed a bond with the president.
Another crisis that Steenhuisen faced was his decision to axe former environment, forestry and fisheries minister Dion George, who would later resign from the party after public spats with the party leader.
George has suggested that Steenhuisen’s financial vulnerability is what is keeping the party in the government of national unity (GNU).
George resigned from the party in January and questioned Steenhuisen’s independence within the GNU.
The 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.
The party’s Federal Legal Commission cleared Steenhuisen of misappropriating party funds through the use of his party-issued credit card. But George maintained that this is indicative of a possible cover-up.
“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.
Another insider said that Steenhuisen’s battle with the farming community proved to be a “poisoned chalice” for the party.
“It’s not doing us any good, but if there is a solution to the farming crisis, things can be turned around. The negative sentiment against John on social media can’t be good. But polling data as yet has not suggested that we are hurting.”
However, if a poll was to be released suggesting that the party is hurting because of the leader, powerful people within the party would have taken action, the insider said.
“I have been assured by colleagues that stuff is happening … until this foot and mouth disease situation is under control, nobody benefits,” they said.
Steenhuisen has been at loggerheads with the farming community, a key constituency of the DA, following the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
Insiders said that lobbying by the Afrikaans farmer lobby was the tipping point in the DA leader’s fight for reelection.
Farmers are pursuing legal action against Steenhuisen’s department, frustrated about his failure to engage the sector over the government’s response to the foot and mouth outbreak.
On Friday, attorneys for Sakeliga, SAAI and Free State Agriculture were instructed to approach the courts to review and set aside what they called “Steenhuisen’s apparently unlawful prohibition, and to apply for further or alternative relief as applicable”.
The farming community is seeking to procure and administer foot and mouth disease vaccines.
“Had he been confident in the lawfulness of his conduct and position, he could easily have stated so with reference to the alleged legal grounds. That would either have enabled us to conclude that litigation would be inappropriate, or significantly simplify litigation by removing unnecessary areas of dispute and possibly even establishing common ground,” Sakeliga said.
Insiders said Steenhuisen had ingratiated himself with the ANC to the detriment of his party. One said that his conduct had been discussed during a DA federal executive meeting late last year.
“There has been this feeling among us that Steenhuisen is too close to the ANC. He is chummy with the deputy president, and you can hear how his tone has changed from his views on Paul Mashatile since he became minister.
“Another problem we could not ignore is how we have taken a step back from the China/Taiwan position. So it’s not just internal problems, John is becoming a problem. He is bowing out on his terms, which is good for him and his reputation,” an insider said.
Steenhuisen’s decision will open up the stage for a new contender when the party holds its internal elections in April. The party’s nominations for new leadership open on February 24.
The Sunday Times understands that while Steenhuisen will not take part in the elections, he is unlikely to leave his ministerial post.
Insiders said that Hill-Lewis will likely reap the benefits of Steenhuisen’s decision, with some within the party having lobbied the Cape Town mayor to take over as party leader last year.
They said Hill-Lewis has set several conditions should he choose to stand as party leader. He intends to stay in his position as the mayor while Steenhuisen continues in parliament and on the executive.
“If you look at the party during Mmusi’s [Maimane] time, he was the leader, and John was the chief whip in charge of parliament. Geordin wants to do the same. He wants the party leader to avoid having to answer to the ANC. So in other words, the party leader interacts with the ANC and other parties, while the leader of the party in the executive will deal with cabinet matters.
“He understands that we can’t conflate these two positions, and maybe that is what went wrong with John because as much as he was a leader, he was also answerable to the president,” the insider said.
Steenhuisen is expected to make his announcement later this morning.
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.