Steenhuisen faces palace revolt

SeniorDemocratic Alliance(DA) leaders are backing Western Cape agriculture MECIvan Meyeto replace John Steenhuisen as the minister of agriculture after the party’s federal congress in April, as criticism persists over his handling of thefoot-and-mouth disease(FMD) outbreak. Support for a reshuffle of the DA’s six cabinet posts has solidified across most provinces, multiple provincial leaders told theMail & Guardian, with the argument centred on the response to the outbreak and the need to restore confidence in the national agriculture department. “It’s no longer a Western Cape idea; there is broad agreement that agriculture needs a reset and that Steenhuisen’s handling of the FMD outbreak cost the party its excellent reputation,” one senior leader said.

Steenhuisen, who early this month confirmed he would not seek a third term as DA federal leader, remains minister of agriculture in the government of national unity (GNU). But insiders say the combination of his party leadership exit and the FMD crisis has weakened his internal position. The outbreak, now declared a national disaster, has disrupted livestock movement in several provinces and heightened concerns about export markets.

Agricultural bodies have warned of an escalating economic fallout if containment measures fail. Meyer’s name has emerged in internal consultations as the preferred successor when the portfolio is reviewed after the congress. The Western Cape MEC for agriculture holds a doctorate in agricultural economics and is touted by his supporters as technically equipped to stabilise the national department.

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“He understands the science and the trade implications. That matters when you’re dealing with export partners and he is the ideal candidate that can redeem the party’s position ahead of local government elections, also giving us the confidence booster the party so desperately needs,” another senior leader said. Sources across Gauteng, North West and Limpopo confirmed that Meyer’s candidacy has been discussed in provincial forums over the past few months.

One provincial executive member described the conversation as “moving quickly”. “There is a need for an aggressive campaign to punt that, while the ball was dropped in the FMD situation, we were relatively quick to find a vaccine but we know it’s a shaky situation, which is why there is a need to have a new candidate without the negativity around him, including the internal investigation that is hanging over him,” said a member of the DA federal executive, its highest decision-making body between federal council meetings. Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is widely expected to win the DA leadership in April.

Several insiders said the outcome was effectively settled, with provincial backing consolidating behind him ahead of nominations opening later this month. “Unless something extraordinary happens, Hill-Lewis will take it,” a senior party strategist said. The anticipated leadership shift has accelerated cabinet calculations. According to multiple sources, Steenhuisen’s supporters inside federal structures are facing pressure to align with Hill-Lewis’s slate or risk losing influence in the new configuration.

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