TONY LEON: Steenhuisen’s decision to step down is right for DA and country

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has confirmed he will not stand for re-election at the party’s elective conference in April, saying his work at the helm is complete.

Steenhuisen announced on Wednesday that he would step aside, framing the decision as one taken independently after reflecting on what he described as his achievements as leader.

He pointed to growing the party, taking it into the Government of National Unity (GNU), and securing cabinet posts for DA ministers, ‘making a positive difference left, right and centre’.

Steenhuisen said he would now focus on his role as Minister of Agriculture.

‘Right decision for party and country’

Leon said the move was the correct one.

“Any exit speech by a departing leader puts his best foot forward,” Leon said.

From both a party and national perspective, however, Leon said stepping aside was wise.

“A leader must try to control the narrative. And when you lose control of the narrative, and it becomes determined by other people and other institutions, then you’ve got a problem.”

Leon said issues, including personal allegations involving former Minister Dion George, the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease matter, and speculation about the DA’s role in the GNU, had complicated the party’s messaging.

While Steenhuisen could have ‘toughed it out’ and contested the leadership again, Leon argued that a leadership change gives the party space to reset.

Fresh start, fresh capital

Leon said that history suggests that when an incumbent DA steps down, the party often improves its performance under the next leader in subsequent elections.

“That’s not invariable, but that’s pretty much the direction of travel,” he said, adding that a new leader typically begins with significant political capital.

“A new leader gets a kind of pass at the beginning. You can do a lot of things. Your best and most powerful moment is right at the start, not towards the end.”

He suggested that early, decisive action by a new leader could help unify the party, which has recently been seen as divided between pro- and anti-Steenhuisen factions.

Leon said he was not privy to internal alignments within the DA but maintained that leadership transitions often create an opportunity for renewal and cohesion.

Positioning in the GNU

The DA’s role in the GNU remains a delicate balancing act, Leon said.

He noted that many DA supporters want the party to remain in the coalition, fearing the alternative could be worse, but also expect it to take a firmer stance against the ANC.

“These are two difficult things to achieve,” he said.

Leon suggested that a leader operating outside Cabinet, rather than serving as a minister, might be better positioned to navigate those competing pressures.

Broader democratic impact

Leon argued that a stronger DA under new leadership would benefit the country.

“If the next leader improves the party’s electoral standing, I think that’s good news for the country,” he said.

Greater competition, he added, would strengthen democratic health at both local and national levels.

He also said a new leader would have the opportunity to assess the DA’s performance in government after nearly two years in the GNU and recalibrate where necessary.

“This we got right in the GNU, this we got very wrong in the GNU, and these are the changes we’re going to make,” he said, describing that kind of reassessment as healthy for the country’s democracy.

For more, listen to Leon using the audio player below: