Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen announced on February 4, 2026, that he will not seek re-election, citing the need to focus on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak as agriculture minister. The decision follows revelations about his personal credit card debt and a dispute with former minister Dion George. His exit paves the way for potential successors like Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
On February 4, 2026, at the Riverside Hotel in Durban, John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa's Democratic Alliance (DA) since 2019, delivered a speech announcing he would not stand for re-election at the party's April federal congress. Steenhuisen, who received 83% support in his 2023 re-election, highlighted his achievements, including forming the 'moonshot pact' that led to the DA's entry into the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the 2024 elections. He described this as the 'single greatest achievement in the history of our party,' transforming the DA from opposition to a governing force and averting a 'Doomsday Coalition' between the ANC, MK party, and EFF. Steenhuisen plans to remain as agriculture minister to address the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, calling it 'not a part-time job' and unfair to farmers to divide his attention with a leadership campaign and local elections prep. The announcement came amid pressure from a controversy over his personal finances. A default judgment of R150,000 for credit card debt was revealed, stemming from his use of a DA-issued card for personal expenses, which federal finance chair Dion George revoked. Steenhuisen then requested President Cyril Ramaphosa remove George as environment minister, leading to George's resignation. Though a DA Federal Legal Commission probe cleared Steenhuisen of wrongdoing, insiders point to donor concerns, farmer dissatisfaction over the outbreak, and tensions with federal chairperson Helen Zille as factors making his position untenable. Steenhuisen avoided questions post-speech, with campaign manager Dean Macpherson stating it 'said all he needed to say.' The formal leadership contest opens on February 27. Frontrunners include Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, 39, a former Zille chief of staff and party deputy leader in the Western Cape; Solly Msimanga, 45, Gauteng opposition leader and former Tshwane mayor; and Chris Pappas, uMngeni mayor known for good governance in KwaZulu-Natal. Other positions up for grabs include federal council chairperson, with contenders like Siviwe Gwarube and Ashor Sarupen, and federal finance chair, vacant after George's exit. The next leader will navigate local elections, GNU relations, and the DA's strategy on race and broader voter appeal.
