There are reports that a faction in the DA has called for John Steenhuisen to resign from parliament to focus on running the party.
DA leader Helen Zille has confirmed that the party will investigate the allegations of financial misconduct that have been made against party leader John Steenhuisen.
This comes after the party’s finance committee chairperson, Dion George, reported Steenhuisen for allegedly abusing the party’s credit card. He alleged that Steenhuisen was using it for his personal benefit.
He apparently spent a lot of money on Uber Eats.
There are reports that Steenhuisen also owes R150 000 on his personal credit card. He had allegedly been summoned to court on this matter.
During a media briefing last week, the secretary-general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, called for a lifestyle audit of Steenhuisen, who is also the minister of agriculture.
According to reports, Steenhuisen was instrumental in the recent removal of George as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. George is accused of sexual misconduct and verbally abusing his staff.
DA’s FedEx steps in
While it has become public knowledge that both Steenhuisen and George do not get along, Zille said the claims the two party leaders have made against each other will be investigated.
“FedEx resolved to refer the matter to the party’s Federal Legal Commission to institute a full investigation into the issues involved, focusing on alleged violations of the DA’s constitution and rules in the genesis and progression of this dispute.
“FedEx also issued an injunction to everyone involved, either directly or peripherally, to stop prosecuting their arguments through the media, and allow the parties’ processes to take their course.
“The DA remains committed to serving all South Africans in an ethical, accountable and responsive manner,” said Zille.
She declined to comment on the emboldening of factions inside the party a few months before their elective conference early next year.
“I have said everything FedEx wants to say in the statement, nothing more than that,” she said.
The Citizen had also reached out to Steenhuisen’s office for comment on the matter. But they refused to comment, citing the statement’s call for parties not to engage on the matter through the media.
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Elective conference
The tensions in the DA come a few months before the party heads into its elective conference in 2026.
It is unclear whether Steenhuisen will run for another term as party leader, but other names mentioned as possible contenders for this position include the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, and the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis.
This crucial elective conference could also see Zille retire from her role as the party’s federal council chairperson to focus on her mayoral campaign in the City of Johannesburg.
Will this affect DA before local government elections?
Political analyst from the University of North West (NWU) Andre Duvenhage told The Citizen that the public battle between senior DA leaders could affect the party negatively, especially at a time when parties have begun their campaign for next year’s local government elections.
“I think Helen Zille is the right person to deal with this and probably there is going to be a decision. I am not sure in which direction it will go, but what I know about the DA, and this is contrary to the ANC, is that they will take this to a certain point, make a decision and pay the price for the decision one way or another.
“We have seen this when they removed Mmusi Maimane because the DA underperformed, so I am expecting a relatively strong action,” he said.
Duvenhage did not rule out that the current tensions in the party were related to the leadership race.
“This is normal in democracies,” he said.
Duvenhage said that what makes the factions in the DA more visible to the public is that the squabbles involve very senior party leaders.
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