POLITICAL NEWS - A political analyst believes that the DA’s former leader John Steenhuisen is likely to get disciplined for bringing the party into disrepute, but the party says there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

This comes after Steenhuisen made damning allegations against the party veteran and former leader Tony Leon.

In a recent interview, Steenhuisen suggested that Leon had used his position and influence to give private companies access to DA ministers, facilitating deals between them and the state. This includes Elon Mask’s company, Starlink.

Leon denied these claims, absolving his PR company, Resolve Communications, of any corruption.

The fallout between powerful DA figures is taking place five months before the local government elections. The party has ambitions of becoming the majority party in most municipalities after November 4 2026.

This is the second time in months that Steenhuisen has had a public fallout with a senior leader of his party.

‘Dirty linen’

Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, political analyst Andre Duvenhage said the public spats and accusations of state capture have cast a negative shadow over the DA.

“This is about washing dirty linen in public, in any organisation there are always things that are going on, it is absolutely clear that John Steenhuisen has taken exception to the fact that he was criticised for his handling of the portfolio of agriculture.

“The basic thing is that his relationship broke down with organised agriculture, and as a result of that, he could not get his portfolio going, there was negative criticism, and he did not have the back up of the DA machinery.

“I will not be surprised if there is going to be a complaint against John Steenhuisen for bringing the party into disrepute, and they will probably take steps against him one way or another,” said Duvenhage.

No charges against Steenhuisen

DA federal chairperson Solly Msimanga told Talk Radio 702 on Monday that he had written to the party’s national leadership about this matter. He said the party will also look into whether the latest public attacks by their leaders have brought it into disrepute.

The party’s national spokesperson, Karabo Khakhau, told The Citizen on Tuesday that there has been no charge against Steenhuisen.

“There are no formal charges that have been laid against Mr John Steenhuisen, and there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by any DA public representative,” she said.

Own goal for the DA

Duvenhage’s remarks come a day after ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa threw a jab at the DA, accusing the party’s members of engaging in a form of state capture.

“With regards to the allegations that we are hearing about one called Tony Leon, I mean that really smacks of State Capture that we have talked about.

READ MORE: Resolve communications' influence allegedly extended to major metros - report

“These are the very same people who have been campaigning against state capture – they are now themselves immersed in influencing where contracts should go in a very active way. So, I think the truth still needs to come out when it comes to this,” he said during an ANC event in the Eastern Cape on Monday.

Is it lobbying or state capture?

But Duvenhage said he would not “categorise” Leon’s actions as being similar to state capture.

“When we talk about state capture, we are talking about an organised structural attempt to take over state structures and to make decisions for the benefit of a particular group, and not to the general one.

“My take on the DA situation is that it has got to do with lobbying and influencing decision-making rather than corruption. But if there is a corruption case to answer to, it should be done so through legal processes,” he said.

Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen

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