Open war in the DA

The DA’s bitter internal row has escalated, with axed former environment minister Dion George taking the unprecedented step of reporting party leader John Steenhuisen to the public protector.

In a lengthy and frequently emotional submission, George alleges that Steenhuisen had him axed from the cabinet under false pretences in favour of Willie Aucamp, whose family George alleges benefits from the highly lucrative trade in lion hunting. The bombshell 84-page affidavit to public protector Nompilo Gcaleka, complete with pictures of Aucamp family members with lion cubs, follows weeks of acrimony between the two senior party members who were once close friends.