Is this the end of Steenhuisen’s chapter at the DA? Analysts say the party needs a reset

A party at a crossroads

For a party that built its brand on stability and clean governance, the past few months have been anything but calm for the Democratic Alliance. As DA leader John Steenhuisen prepares to address the media, speculation is swirling that he may be stepping away from the party’s top job, and some analysts say the timing couldn’t be more telling.

With the DA’s federal congress looming in April, the question isn’t just whether Steenhuisen will contest the leadership again, but whether the party can afford to carry the weight of recent controversies into a crucial election year.

Crisis after crisis

Political analyst and North West University professor André Duvenhage believes the DA has been in a prolonged period of internal crisis, much of it landing squarely at Steenhuisen’s feet.

He points to a mix of political and administrative challenges, including turbulence in the agriculture portfolio particularly around foot-and-mouth disease and growing concerns that Steenhuisen’s department was not functioning as smoothly as expected.

But it was the very public fallout with former DA MP Dion George that, in Duvenhage’s view, did the most damage.

When internal battles go public

George’s resignation and sharp criticism of party leadership dragged internal DA disputes into the open. What should have been handled behind closed doors instead became headline news, raising uncomfortable questions about discipline, leadership and accountability.

According to Duvenhage, the situation escalated to the point where the DA’s own federal structures were forced to intervene. Internal discussions, a party-led judicial investigation and the prospect of disciplinary hearings for both George and Steenhuisen all fed into a narrative of a party losing control of its internal processes.

Steenhuisen, for his part, rejected the allegations outright, describing them as baseless and politically motivated. He accused George of acting out of bitterness after being removed from his ministerial role.

Tensions at the top

Behind the scenes, other fractures appear to have widened. Duvenhage suggests that Steenhuisen’s relationship with long-time DA power broker Helen Zille deteriorated significantly, reaching what he describes as a breaking point.

There were also reports of donor unease, a sensitive issue for any political party, particularly one positioning itself as a credible alternative government.

The result, Duvenhage claims, may have been a behind-the-scenes agreement: Steenhuisen would not push for another term as party leader, while remaining in Cabinet as minister, allowing the DA to present a refreshed leadership team ahead of the next electoral cycle.

A crowded field waiting in the wings

Had he stayed in the race, Steenhuisen was expected to face stiff competition from high-profile figures including Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Communications Minister Solly Malatsi.

Zille has previously been linked to Hill-Lewis as a preferred successor, though the leadership contest is far from settled and the DA’s internal dynamics rarely follow a simple script.

Is the DA better off turning the page?

Duvenhage is blunt in his assessment: the party, he says, would benefit from new leadership.

In his view, Steenhuisen now carries too much political baggage, both inside and outside the DA. Questions about his leadership style, crisis management and ability to unite the party have lingered for years, resurfacing every time the DA stumbles.

With local government elections later this year, the stakes are high. Voters tend to punish parties that look divided, and the DA can ill afford to appear distracted by internal feuds.

Waiting for the words that will define the moment

Steenhuisen has urged patience, warning against speculation until he presents the full facts. Whether he formally exits the leadership race or signals a different path forward, his announcement will mark a defining moment for the DA.

For some, it will feel like the end of an era. For others, the start of a long-overdue reset.

One thing is clear: whatever Steenhuisen decides, the Democratic Alliance is about to enter a new and uncertain chapter and South Africa’s opposition politics will be watching closely.

{Source: The Citizen}

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