Geordin Hill-Lewis has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove John Steenhuisen from the Cabinet and make several other changes to the DA's government team.
On 17 June, Hill-Lewis announced the proposals in a statement to Ramaphosa. He said the changes would strengthen the party's contribution to the Government of National Unity and better reflect the mandate from the 2024 elections.
Steenhuisen would move to Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. Willie Aucamp would take over as Agriculture Minister, with David Maynier moving into Aucamp's former Environment role. Several other Deputy Minister positions would also change hands.
The moves follow criticism of Steenhuisen's handling of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. Elections analyst Wayne Sussman said the changes aim to reconnect with conservative Afrikaans voters ahead of the 2026 local government elections, where the DA faces competition from the FF Plus and the Patriotic Alliance.
