Did Zille push Steenhuisen out of the leadership race?

DA LEADER John Steenhuisen’s decision to withdraw from the race for reelection at the party’s April elective conference has been linked to his strained relationship with Helen Zille, the party’s Federal Council chairperson.

- BONGANI HANS

A well-placed source within the DA’s national office said that while he cited focusing on his job as Minister of Agriculture as the reason, fatigue from being undermined also played a role.

“The party and government responsibilities had made Steenhuisen exhausted, as the Foot-and-Mouth Disease demanded lots of his attention and focus,” the source said.

“Many of the provinces had asked him not to pull out, but I think he had just had it because the relationship between him and Zille was also no longer so good. You cannot be a leader of the party and have somebody that is the secretary-general (Federal Council chairperson) of the party trying to work against you.”

Seven provinces were firmly behind him, while support in the Western Cape and Gauteng was divided. “Even the leaders of those seven provinces were not happy about his withdrawal because they were taken by surprise as they believed that he was going to win by a landslide majority,” the source said.

He added that Steenhuisen feared Zille would continue to pull the strings and undermine him if reelected Federal Council chairperson.