Steenhuisen's tough re-election battle amid financial scandal

Party insiders divided as rivals weigh leadership challenge after debt revelations

- THAMI MAGUBANE [e-mail]

DA LEADER John Steenhuisen will face a tough reelection battle next year, and the recent revelations about his financial issues could be used by his detractors to push him out of the party.

That is the view shared by DA members in KwaZulu-Natal as the party gears up for a conference in April next year.

A member of the DA expressed shock over the revelation that Steenhuisen had a default credit card judgment against him. It was reported recently that a default judgment was granted against Steenhuisen in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court in May for unpaid personal credit card debt of almost R150 000.

However, analysts believe the judgment is unlikely to have any serious impact on his standing as a leader. His ability to retain the post will depend on his track record and whether he faces a strong leader standing against him.

A DA member speaking on condition of anonymity said, “These allegations surfaced a few days ago, so the members have not had any chance to engage as a group.” Sources in the party indicated that Steenhuisen still has support within the party, but he also has a large number of detractors.