Questions over Tony Leon’s DA role

At first glance, it would seem as though former DA leader John Steenhuisen’s whinge that he was thrown to the “hyenas” with his demotion as agriculture minister is a typical South African “it’s not my fault” excuse – a trait which blames ills or anyone or anything else.

Steenhuisen claims he was “stabbed in the back” by new party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis, after agreeing to step aside to allow Hill-Lewis an uncontested run at the party’s top job.

There may be some truth in that, but Steenhuisen ignores the reality that his mishandling of the cattle foot-and-mouth saga – alienating much of the farming community in the process – along with his arrogance and his messy personal financial affairs, would have embarrassed the DA.

The party would have led the chorus for dismissal had an ANC minister in the government of national unity behaved in a similar fashion.

Tony DA Soprano?

Yet, beyond the sour grapes in Steenhuisen’s interview over the weekend with News24, there were some puzzling, even disturbing, revelations about the power still exercised by DA elder statesman Tony Leon.

According to Steenhuisen, Leon pressured Hill-Lewis into deciding on the demotion.

But, more interesting was Steenhuisen’s claim that Leon’s public relations firm had been working for an agricultural lobby group which has been a staunch critic of the agriculture ministry.

Leon has always been on the right wing of the DA, with his opposition to affirmative action and B-BBEE, his alignment with the US view of the world and his support for Israel… all of which have, say critics and experts, confirmed to many opponents of the DA that it is primarily a conservative party for white people.

The fact that he may be pursuing agendas inimical to the overall political health of the DA should give those running the organisation at least some pause for thought.