South Africa's Democratic Alliance Leader John Steenhuisen Will Not Seek Re-Election

Wed Feb 04 2026 18:48:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

John Steenhuisen's decision not to pursue re-election poses significant implications for the stability of South Africa's coalition government as the country faces a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa's second-largest political party, the Democratic Alliance, has announced he will not seek re-election for the party leadership amid controversies. His tenure, which began in 2019, is coming to an end as South Africa navigates a coalition government formed with the African National Congress after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024. Steenhuisen's focus will now shift to his role as agriculture minister, where he plans to tackle a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak affecting the livestock sector.

South Africa's Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has announced he will not seek re-election as the party's leader in April - a move that may threaten the stability of the coalition government.

The DA, South Africa's second-largest party, entered into a historic coalition with its arch rival the African National Congress in 2024 after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority. Steenhuisen took over leadership of the pro-business DA in 2019 and currently serves as agriculture minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa's government.

The 49-year-old was widely expected to run again but was reportedly forced to abandon his bid due to several controversies. For the rest of his term of office, Steenhuisen stated he would focus all his time and energy as minister of agriculture on defeating the most devastating foot-and-mouth disease outbreak the country has ever faced.

His political career began at age 22 when he was elected to the council of Durban for the Democratic Party, the predecessor of the DA. He rose through the party's ranks and became its leader two decades later, but now finds himself stepping aside during a critical time.

Reports suggest that issues including a fallout with former Environment Affairs Minister Dion George and allegations involving misuse of party funds have contributed to his decision not to run for re-election. Additionally, he faces criticism over his handling of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, which has affected the livestock industry significantly across the country.