DA 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, insiders have said.
Sowetan’s sister newspaper Sunday Times understands that the decision by Steenhuisen to not stand for re-election came about after several talks with his inner circle.
The inner circle includes public works minister Dean McPherson, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, and home affairs minister Leon Schreiber.
Some insiders said while Steenhuisen had received a resounding endorsement from the DA’s funders, they had retreated from this decision over the past few months.
One insider said the funders were now seeking a new face to lead the country should it manage to gain enough votes in 2029 when parties negotiate for a new president.
Steenhuisen had also been at odds with President Cyril Ramaphosa following the VAT crisis, which led to parliament postponing the budget speech last year.
In an interview with author and journalist Mandy Wiener earlier this year, Ramaphosa raised his frustration over Steenhuisen, claiming the DA was acting as an opposition in the government of national unity (GNU). Ramaphosa compared Steenhuisen to Roelf Meyer, who, during the Codesa negotiations, formed a bond with the president.
Another crisis that has faced Steenhuisen follows his decision to axe Dion George, the environment, forestry and fisheries minister who would later resign from the DA following public spats with the party leader.
George’s pronouncement against Steenhuisen, claiming the leader was financially compromised, has dented the DA’s image within the party. He has also suggested Steenhuisen’s financial vulnerability was keeping the party in the GNU.
George resigned from the DA in January and questioned Steenhuisen’s independence within the GNU.
Their public spat turned ugly when the party’s financial records and details of Steenhuisen’s spending on the DA’s and personal credit cards were leaked to the media. 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 maintained this was indicative of a possible cover-up. “You’ve 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 Steenhuisen’s battle with the farming community proved to be a poisoned chalice for the DA.
“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,” said the insider
“However, if there had been a poll, which has now come out and suggests that we’re hurting because of the leader, powerful people within the party would have taken action, and this might be why we find ourselves where we are now.
“I have been assured by colleagues that stuff is happening… until this foot and mouth disease situation is under control, nobody benefits.”
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 the 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 over his failure to engage the sector over the government’s response to the outbreak.
On Friday, Sakeliga, the Southern African Agri Initiative, and Free State Agriculture instructed their attorneys 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 seeks 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 therefor,” Sakeliga said.
“That would have either enabled us to conclude that litigation would be inappropriate or significantly simplified litigation by removing unnecessary areas of dispute and possibly even establishing common ground.”
The insiders said Steenhuisen had ingratiated himself with the ANC to the detriment of his party. One insider said Steenhuisen’s 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,” an insider said.
“Another problem, which we could not ignore, is how we have taken a step back from the China/Taiwan position. So it’s not just internal problems, but John is becoming a problem. He is bowing out on his terms, which is good for him and his reputation.”
Sowetan
