Steenhuisen escapes DA disciplinary action

10 JUL 2026, 01:01

6 min read

Despite anger within senior Democratic Alliance (DA) leaders and calls from some party members for a tougher response against former leader John Steenhuisen for his public outburst against the party and its leadership, the party will not initiate any disciplinary action against him.

The DA has confirmed that no disciplinary proceedings have been instituted against Steenhuisen and that no formal charges have been laid following his state capture allegations against former party leader Tony Leon and public affairs firm Resolve Communications.

"There are currently no charges that have been laid against him so no investigation has been initiated as of now," the party said.

The clarification comes as senior leaders told the Mail & Guardian that Steenhuisen's statements have intensified divisions within the party's Federal Executive (FedEx), with some members arguing that his public criticism has damaged the DA's credibility and placed the party into disrepute ahead of the November local government elections.

"The timing of these things are just bad, because it changes how we approach communities but what gives us peace is that people can see that this is just a tantrum rather than reality.

"There is no state capture here, just a wounded man trying to cry wolf when he has his own skeletons in the closet that we have covered for his own dignity. We are not deterred," a senior source said.

Others, however, believe Steenhuisen was entitled to air his frustrations after what he says was a broken promise that he would retain his Cabinet position if he relinquished the party leadership.

Steenhuisen, who stepped down as DA leader earlier this year and was recently moved from Minister of Agriculture to Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, accused the party of betraying him and alleged that Leon's public affairs firm, Resolve Communications, enjoyed undue influence within the DA and facilitated access between private clients and ministers.

He also claimed sections of the party were increasingly focused on appeasing conservative white voters while sidelining longstanding members.

DA federal chairperson Solly Msimanga said no disciplinary process had been initiated against Steenhuisen but confirmed that the party had taken note of the allegations involving Leon's PR company and its alleged role in facilitating meetings involving private clients, including those linked to Starlink.

A senior party source told the M&G there was considerable frustration within the DA over Steenhuisen's decision to air internal grievances publicly.

"The irritation is that while everyone is trying to cover for John because of the influence he seems to hold now, the party's numbers will plummet if nothing is done.

"We have supporters who are concerned about this bad publicity. Action needs to be taken. The concession made to give him the deputy position was merciful, he was expected to be removed altogether because the backlash from the FMD was greater and we cannot downplay that and he is acting as if we are wrong to remove him from the position when he failed to perform.

"There is nothing wrong with making such executive decisions if it benefits the party," the source said.

Although the DA has ruled out disciplinary action, the party has previously relied on its internal processes to deal with disputes involving senior leaders.

Earlier this year, the FedEx initiated an inquiry into whether the public fallout between Steenhuisen and former minister Dion George had brought the party into disrepute, even after clearing Steenhuisen of allegations relating to the use of a party credit card.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is understood to have supported Steenhuisen remaining in Cabinet rather than being removed entirely, said the allegations against Leon and Resolve Communications warranted investigation.

Ramaphosa described the claims regarding Leon and Resolve Communications as smacking of "state capture," drawing a sharp parallel to the kind of undue influence the ANC has long criticised.

"With regards to the allegations that we are hearing about ... Tony Leon, I mean that really smacks of State Capture that we have talked about," Ramaphosa said, urging a thorough probe.

The president's comments have added fuel to the fire, with opposition parties such as ActionSA calling for an urgent, independent investigation into the allegations.

ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont and others have pressed for clarity on whether private interests gained improper access to executive members through Resolve.

Leon and his firm have strongly denied the allegations arguing that his firm does not and cannot direct ministerial decisions, has never sought to do so and respects refusals of meeting requests without complaint, describing such legitimate public affairs work as fundamentally different from corruption.

Leon called the claims false and baseless, noting that no evidence or unlawful acts had been produced and dismissed comparisons to state capture as an insult to victims of the real phenomenon while portraying the accusations as a politically motivated scapegoat for internal DA disputes following Steenhuisen's demotion.

He warned that where the falsehoods crossed into defamation, legal remedies were under consideration.

Steenhuisen's demotion followed after Hill-Lewis's requests to Ramaphosa for cabinet adjustments. The former leader expressed deep disappointment, telling News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson that the move felt like a betrayal and that he had been assured his position would be secure if he stepped down from party leadership.

He also criticised what he saw as the party's efforts to appease the so-called "AfriMAGA", conservative white voters, while alienating their members.

This is the same frustration expressed by party MPs who have argued that they have often been overlooked in the party for conservative whites despite their efforts and popularity.

"We know that the party is pro-whites because they want to win the support base lost after Mmusi Maimane but in the process, many members who are in the party are feeling the pinch of it all.

"The recent cabinet reshuffles proved to us that in spite of how much work you do, chances of getting recognised are close to zero; you must wait for congress to win the positions you want, if you don't believe me, ask Solly Msimanga because he could've been given an MP position if he looked like them," the source told the M&G.

The agriculture portfolio had become a liability for Steenhuisen amid ongoing challenges with foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, which drew criticism from farmers and damaged the DA's image in these farming communities.

Hill-Lewis has argued that his decision was about delivering results in the GNU rather than personal animosity.

This new war follows one from early this year where the FedEx cleared Steenhuisen of misusing a party credit card after a preliminary investigation found expenditures reconciled with no prima facie evidence of abuse, which some have argued that it was a political cover-up to shield the party.

However, it still ordered a disciplinary inquiry into whether the public fallout with Dion George had harmed the party. George later resigned, accusing the DA of being captured by the ANC.