DA under scrutiny after John Steenhuisen flags Resolve Communications lobbying

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is facing questions over ethics and influence after former party leader John Steenhuisen said in an interview that DA ministers were pressured by Resolve Communications to meet the company’s clients, including Starlink and REDISA.

What Steenhuisen disclosed

In a News24 interview posted on YouTube, Steenhuisen said Resolve Communications, chaired by former DA leader Tony Leon, had pushed DA ministers to meet its clients. He named himself during his time as minister of Agriculture, Communication Minister Solly Malatsi, and current Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp as targets of that lobbying. Steenhuisen said Resolve had arranged meetings and that Malatsi was pressured to meet with Starlink.

Questions about party funding and transparency

Steenhuisen linked the lobbying to clients of Resolve Starlink and REDISA but the article notes it is unclear whether those companies appear on the DA’s funding list published by the Electoral Commission of South Africa on 29 May 2026. The IEC list does not show Starlink or REDISA as funders of the party.

Reactions from analysts and critics

UKZN political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the DA has “lost its moral high ground” and warned that the party can no longer claim a superior record on clean governance and transparency. Ndlovu also said:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the DA is captured just like other parties, as the business sector spends a lot of money trying to influence government policy in its favour. I don’t think there is anything illegal, but we can question whether it is ethical for a former DA leader (Leon) to do what he is accused of doing.”

Policy analyst Dr Reneva Fourie said that if Steenhuisen’s claims are true, Leon’s actions would be an attempt to “grossly” interfere with government policy and show “a complete disregard for government procurement processes.” Fourie said the Leon matter could point to wider policy interference within the DA.

Context: policy changes and meetings

The article notes that in May 2025 Malatsi gazetted a policy direction that changes how foreign multinationals’ contributions to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) are measured, replacing a 30% ownership requirement with alternative forms of local investment, including support for local suppliers, enterprise and skills development, and funding for SMMEs. The story reports this move was reportedly an attempt to allow Starlink to operate without ceding a 30% ownership stake.

Steenhuisen said Resolve clients complained to him that Malatsi was not moving fast enough; he reported the matter internally because he thought it might be problematic if not checked. He also said meetings arranged by Resolve were sometimes left to individual ministers to decide whether to attend. The article records that former minister Dion George said he repeatedly declined requests for meetings.

Responses from Tony Leon and the ANC

Tony Leon responded that Resolve’s lobbying was not state capture, saying:

“State capture was the criminal subversion of public institutions for private enrichment, conducted in secret and in defiance of the law. The work of helping a lawful business make its case to the government, in the open and on the record, is its precise opposite.”

The African National Congress said the allegations require open and transparent scrutiny to maintain public confidence, and that Steenhuisen’s claims “warrant the same level of scrutiny and accountability that the DA has consistently demanded of others,” according to an ANC statement.

DA leadership stance

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said he is focused on steadily building a party capable of winning a national election and earning the trust of millions of South Africans who have not voted for the party before.

What remains unclear

• Whether Starlink or REDISA have provided funding to the DA does not appear on the IEC list published on 29 May 2026.
• Steenhuisen did not elaborate on the circumstances of Resolve’s attempts to push then-DFFE ministers Dion George and Willie Aucamp to meet REDISA.

The developments have prompted debate about ethics, lobbying and transparency within the DA as the party confronts the implications of the claims.