DA has opportunity to redefine its role in GNU under new leader

DA leader John Steenhuisen has officially confirmed that he will not be seeking re-election at the party’s next congress in April. His early withdrawal from the leadership race probably saves SA’s second-largest political party from what could have been a bruising leadership battle. Though Steenhuisen achieved more than any other DA leader before him by actually taking the party to the cabinet, many of his internal critics say this is less because of his leadership than the ongoing decline of the ANC, which has ruled the country for the past 31 years.

In fact, some of Steenhuisen’s critics argue, it is an indictment on him that — despite the ANC’s obvious frailties — the DA failed to make any serious gains in the last election and so ended up negotiating the formation of a new unity government from a weakened position. After taking the DA into the government of national unity, Steenhuisen seemed unclear as to what strategy it would pursue as a party in government that nevertheless had a responsibility to distinguish itself from the ANC. This led to the criticism from DA constituencies that the party’s ministers were in the cabinet to implement ANC policies.

Now that Steenhuisen is out of the race, the DA has an opportunity to redefine itself and its role under a new leader. It’s early days, but the emerging consensus seems to be that Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis will be elected unopposed as the party’s new leader. Speculation, fuelled by Steenhuisen’s remarks about his own future in government, is that Hill-Lewis would not tamper much with the current GNU arrangement, at least until the next elections.

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He also seems to enjoy a warm personal relationship with President Cyril Ramaphosa. It is safe to assume, therefore, that the upcoming changes within the DA will not lead to the collapse of the GNU. But to avoid the pitfalls that Steenhuisen encountered as leader of the DA in a coalition arrangement with the ANC, the new leader will have to master the art of correctly balancing opposition and co-governance.

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