Explosive allegations by John Steenhuisen

Former DA Leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen made serious allegations against new leader Geordin Hill-Lewis, former leader Tony Leon, and others.

These allegations followed his imminent removal as Minister of Agriculture after Hill-Lewis requested changes to the DA’s cabinet members.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed John Steenhuisen as South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture on 3 July 2024.

This position formed part of the negotiations which ultimately created the country’s government of national unity.

Steenhuisen has been a liability for the Democratic Alliance, with one debacle after the next hitting his department.

Since taking office as the Minister of Agriculture, he has faced several high-profile controversies, administrative problems, and legal challenges.

The ongoing management of a severe Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak has drawn immense criticism from the agricultural sector.

Steenhuisen’s department has been widely criticised for maintaining exclusive state control over vaccine distribution.

It has prohibited private-sector livestock groups and veterinarians from independently procuring and administering vaccines to speed up the process.

In a legal battle around the issue, livestock farmers, represented by the Southern African Afgri Initiative (Saai), won a High Court order against Steenhuisen.

The court ruled that the Minister and his department had unlawfully prohibited farmers from vaccinating their own cattle.

To add fuel to the fire, Steenhuisen’s office faced intense public backlash after an internal email was leaked on social media this month.

FMD Response SA sent a formal, collaborative letter requesting a joint public-private biosecurity strategy.

Steenhuisen’s Chief of Staff, Jana le Roux, forwarded the letter to the department’s top officials with a note that described it as sent “for some amusement.”

Serious allegations by John Steenhuisen

During an interview with News24 editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson, Steenhuisen shared his views on Hill-Lewis’s decision.

He levelled allegations against his own party leadership, right-wing agricultural organisations, and prominent corporate lobbyists.

Steenhuisen claims he was promised that if he stepped down as leader of the DA, he would remain as Agriculture Minister to finish his work against FMD.

“The deal was that I would stand down as leader, but that I would remain on as Minister of Agriculture. A word was given, and a word was broken,” he said.

He confirmed that Hill-Lewis was part of the deal and that he had backtracked on his promise to keep him on as Minister.

Steenhuisen added that the new DA leadership has abandoned the traditional strategy of defending its members under fire.

“Giving my head to the mob to appease them will not work. It will increase their hunger for blood and encourage it,” he said.

He further challenged the character and motives of conservative groupings targeting him, saying they do not share democratic or liberal values.

“These are not people who share our values. They are nationalists, tribalists, and in some instances, racists,” he said.

He expressed concern that an internal group within the DA is attempting to appease a small, conservative white demographic.

“There is a grouping in the DA that wants to bend the knee continuously to appease the AfriMAGA crew,” he said.

He also accused Resolve Communications, a PR firm run by former DA leader Tony Leon, of driving a campaign against him and his chief of staff.

“A company chaired by a former DA leader and led by a former DA CEO was pivotal in criticising me and my chief of staff, relentlessly driving public narratives,” he said.