Steenhuisen faces tough fight to keep DA leadership

The battle for control of the DA is on and the rivalry has never been so tense, with the central theme being to oust Federal leader John Steenhuisen by a powerful Cape-based clique.

But his enemies better be careful – Steenhuisen will not go down without a fight and his challengers always come out with a bloody nose.

All those who tried in the past to dislodge the man failed, even democratically, to get him out of the driver’s seat came out of the battle bruised and battered.

Steenhuisen often deals with his opponents beyond the battle ring to ensure the person is not only defeated, but is out and he remains the only man standing.

It will take a strong man or woman to defeat this KwaZulu-Natal “warrior” who has grown into a political tactician.

ALSO READ: Chaos breaks out in KZN legislature as MK party’s motion of no confidence fails

But like his predecessor, Mmusi Maimane, he is seen as an outsider because he is not from the Cape but from KZN, where he launched his political career at eThekwini metro.

Leaders have to be accepted by the DA inner circle and by Cape Town because it’s where the party’s power base resides.

Steenhuisen inherited the position by default after a clique of party heavyweights from Cape Town sacrificed Maimane for the DA’s showing in the 2019 election.

The Western Cape became the DA’s political base after stalwarts like Federal Council chair Helen Zille and former leader Tony Leon migrated from Gauteng and KZN respectively.

This helped to reinforce the party’s political base with Zille single-handedly engineering the DA’s growth in the province, which they managed to keep out of the reach of the ANC.

ALSO READ: DA man under fire over Starlink

But Steenhuisen, like Maimane, who remained in Gauteng throughout his term as leader, never joined the southward Great Trek and stayed in KZN.

According to a party insider, Steenhuisen and Maimane became obvious targets. With Maimane out, now it’s Steenhuisen’s turn. But will they succeed?

Since taking the helm in 2020, Steenhuisen has been challenged twice for the leadership position.

But battling Mbali Ntuli, a fellow KZN resident in 2020, and then Mpho Phalatse, former Joburg mayor, was a walk in the park for Steenhuisen who left them with bloodied noses in the pre-congress leadership campaigns.

Now the DA competes with the Freedom Front Plus for Afrikaner voters, having ditched black voters and ousted senior black members.

ALSO READ: Hypocrisy is national sport

According to experts and insiders, the alleged party credit card abuse issue against Steenhuisen is an excuse to remove him by the influential Capetonians. But the man is a fighter who reserves a killer punch for any challenger.

According to a well-placed source, opponents have identified Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as his replacement, despite Hill-Lewis being far less experienced politically.

Analysts believe Steenhuisen’s real sin was to become too close to the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa after the DA gave him the most difficult task: to remain an opposition leader within the government of national unity (GNU).

Independent political analyst Khanyi Magubane said Steenhuisen was deployed to the GNU to play opposition politics but in the eyes of his “enemies” he has failed.

“His mandate was to promote DA policies in the national Cabinet particularly in the portfolios they have. The opposite seems to be happening. He is getting on quite well with fellow Cabinet members and getting closer to Ramaphosa and becoming one of the president’s firm favourites.

ALSO READ: More than R5.2m to be spent to protect Western Cape schools during December holiday

“This has rubbed up people within the DA the wrong way. They see John as having forgotten why he’s there. He’s playing smart politics. He has realised it’s better to be within than on the periphery. This has also given Steenhuisen a lot of power,” Magubane said.

“In the DA, he is seen to be drunk on power and using it to decide who comes in and out of Cabinet. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a plan to ensure he does not return as its next leader.”