John Steenhuisen Announces Departure as Leader of South Africa's Democratic Alliance

Thu Feb 05 2026 01:30:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's second-largest political party, has declared he will not seek re-election, raising questions about the future of the coalition government.

John Steenhuisen, who has led the Democratic Alliance (DA) since 2019, has decided not to run for re-election in April. His resignation is expected to impact the stability of the coalition government formed with the African National Congress (ANC) after the latter lost its parliamentary majority. Steenhuisen, who serves as the agriculture minister, cited a focus on combating a significant foot-and-mouth disease outbreak as his priority, following controversies that have marked his leadership.

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa's Democratic Alliance (DA), has announced that he will not seek re-election as party leader during the upcoming party conference in April. This decision could potentially threaten the stability of the current coalition government, which was formed after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024.

Steenhuisen, who has been at the helm of the pro-business DA since 2019 and currently serves as agriculture minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet, was widely anticipated to run again. However, his bid appears to have been adversely affected by several controversies, including a fallout with senior DA member Dion George and previous allegations regarding the misuse of party funds, for which he was cleared earlier this year.

In a press conference, Steenhuisen stated, For the rest of this term of office, I will focus all of my time and energy as minister of agriculture on defeating the most devastating foot-and-mouth disease outbreak our country has ever seen. The viral outbreak has spread across many provinces and severely impacted South Africa's livestock industry, leading to accusations against his department of being uncooperative during this crisis.

Steenhuisen began his political career at age 22 when he was elected to the council of Durban for the Democratic Party, the DA's predecessor. He gradually climbed the ranks to lead a party traditionally supported by a white demographic in South Africa.

The DA's decision to join the ANC in a coalition government marked a historic shift in South African politics, directly challenging the long-standing dominance of the ANC, which brought about the end of apartheid. Their partnership, although fraught with challenges, has demonstrated a level of cooperation, notably during a highly publicized visit to the White House when they stood united against unfounded claims of violence against white farmers.

With mounting pressures and potential leadership changes ahead, possible successors to Steenhuisen, including Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, are currently being discussed within DA circles.