DA reshuffle exposes factional split as Geordin Hill-Lewis tightens control

Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has tightened his control over the party’s representation in the Government of National Unity after a Cabinet reshuffle that has exposed deep divisions within the DA.

What changed in the DA’s GNU team

President Cyril Ramaphosa approved Hill-Lewis’s proposed amendments to the DA’s representation in the GNU, triggering a series of moves across the party’s Cabinet line-up.

John Steenhuisen was removed as Minister of Agriculture and appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. Deputy ministers Samantha Graham-Mare, Sello Seitlholo and Mimmy Gondwe were also removed from the executive. Willie Aucamp will take over the Agriculture portfolio after serving as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

David Maynier is expected to join the national executive, while Alexandra Abrahams, Jack Bloom and Yusuf Cassim are among the new appointments expected to strengthen the DA’s Cabinet team.

Sources say reshuffle consolidates Hill-Lewis’s influence

According to IOL, sources familiar with the party’s internal discussions said the Cabinet reshuffle has strengthened Hill-Lewis’s influence by replacing several senior leaders linked to the previous administration with figures seen as part of his leadership team.

According to IOL, the reshuffle has intensified debate inside the party over whether the appointments represent a performance-driven renewal or the consolidation of a new leadership bloc.

Voices from inside the party

One source told IOL:

“There has been a deliberate effort to put together a team that is fully aligned with the new leadership’s priorities. The thinking is that the DA needs a more cohesive Cabinet team going into the local government elections”

Another source told IOL:

“The reshuffle has inevitably raised concerns inside the party because several people seen as close to the previous leadership have been removed. Whether that’s perception or reality, it’s now part of the political debate”

According to IOL, a third party insider said the reshuffle was intended to ensure the DA’s narrative continued in the GNU and quoted them as saying:

“The leadership believes these decisions were based on performance and the need to strengthen the party’s presence in government. They reject suggestions that this was about settling internal scores”

Background: leadership contest and fallout

The changes come months after a contested DA leadership race in which Hill-Lewis prevailed. Supporters of a rival camp had argued for a different approach to the GNU under the previous leadership. According to IOL, party insiders say those divisions persisted after the elective conference and continued to influence discussions on strategy, leadership and Cabinet deployment.

John Steenhuisen has accused Hill-Lewis of breaking an agreement that would have allowed him to remain Agriculture Minister after deciding not to challenge Hill-Lewis for the party leadership, and has alleged he was subjected to internal attacks during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

What comes next

With the DA preparing for the 2026 local government elections, the reshuffle is expected to be a major topic in internal debates over the party’s direction and its performance in government. While party leaders frame the changes as focused on effectiveness, the moves have also fuelled questions about the balance of power inside the DA.