DA leader John Steenhuisen faces allegations of cadre deployment

Former DA Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Dr Dion George, has accused the party's leader, John Steenhuisen, of actions “tantamount to cadre deployment” after he removed him from his position and appointed the current Minister, Willie Aucamp.

George claims that Aucamp's appointment suited Steenhuisen’s personal and commercial political objectives. 

This is according to an 85-page affidavit submitted to the Public Protector, in which George alleged that Steenhuisen orchestrated his removal from the cabinet to install a successor who would protect specific commercial interests, specifically of the captive lion breeding and hunting industry.

This comes ahead of the DA’s elective congress in April this year, with Steenhuisen hoping to be elected for a third term. 

George wants the Public Protector to investigate Steenhuisen’s “unlawful interference with the DFFE’s mandate and functions, his removal and appointment of Aucamp, as well as his failure to disclose his personal commercial interests and his conflict of interest". 

He also called for investigations into Aucamp for alleged undisclosed conflicts of interest, the withdrawal of a South African proposal to tighten abalone trade rules at the 2025 CITES conference, and the failure to renew a task team aimed at phasing out captive lion breeding.

This accusation is part of a broader, bitter fallout within the DA.

Before his removal, George (as the DA's Federal Finance Chair) reportedly revoked Steenhuisen’s access to a party-issued credit card due to unreconciled personal expenses.

Steenhuisen has dismissed George's claims as "flimsy fabrications" and a "revenge attempt" following his removal for alleged poor performance. Both leaders are currently under investigation by the DA's Federal Legal Commission (FLC).

George was removed from his position as Minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa in November following a formal request from Steenhuisen, who framed the decision as a “standard reshuffle" to strengthen the party’s performance in the Government of National Unity (GNU). 

Steenhuisen stated the change was necessary to “advance the urgent reform agenda” and ensure the most capable individuals represent the party. 

However, George alleged that Steenhuisen had fired him from his position under false pretences in favour of Aucamp, whose family allegedly benefits from the lucrative trade in lion hunting.

Aucamp on Sunday denied the allegations, saying he is not a member of any hunting organisation. He said he and his family are in the game farming industry with no links to the captive lion breeding sector at all. 

“Dr George’s allegations that my family or I are involved in the lion breeding industry are untrue and fabricated,” said Aucamp, who, in December 2025, filed a complaint with the Public Protector against George, alleging that he misused departmental resources to launch a “baseless” and “politically motivated” investigation into his private business affairs.

He said a whistle-blower report used to justify the investigation into him was fabricated and has since disappeared from official records.

Steenhuisen, through his Agriculture spokesperson, Joylene Van Wyk, said George was exceeding his mandate by making decisions relating to wildlife ranching and animal production of declared agriculture products without consultation or seeking any input, opinion, or advice from the Ministry of Agriculture. 

“This I found uncollegial and unhelpful, given the fact that we were colleagues from the same political party. I had on numerous occasions urged Dr George that he should consult my department and ministry when it came to decisions relating to wildlife ranching and animal production, given the huge mandate in these sectors that fell under the legislative umbrella and executive mandate of the Department of Agriculture,” he said. 

George, who claimed that his removal is tantamount to Steenhuisen resorting to cadre deployment, said Steenhuisen, as the DA leader and as a GNU negotiator, 'is abusing his power to advance his own political agenda, which serves his own interests, and not those of the DA nor South Africa'. 

He said this includes an encroachment into other ministerial departments, to dilute their independence and objectivity to advance singular commercial interests, which carries significant risk to South Africa’s natural heritage and “our reputation as a country".  

“Minister Steenhuisen’s direct attack on the independence of Ministerial roles in stand-alone departments is tantamount to cadre deployment.  It is further a concerted effort to purge the DA of Steenhuisen objectors, while undermining the Constitution,” read the affidavit.

George said this started when Steenhuisen allegedly requested him to meet and cooperate with captive breeders. He said this was articulated as a demand rather than a request. 

He alleged that Steenhuisen made this request with the agenda of ingratiating himself into the industry as Minister of Agriculture. 

“Steenhuisen suggested to me that captive wildlife should be the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, and that I would then not be concerned about the pressure on me, from the captive breeding industry, if this would be accepted,” said George. 

He said the direct link between Steenhuisen and political ambitions in this sector is amplified by his choice of Aucamp. He said Steenhuisen specifically chose and proposed a candidate with direct links to the captive breeding and wildlife ranching industry. 

George said he learned about Steenhuisen’s “clandestine and surreptitious” approach of Ramaphosa (to replace him with Aucamp) through the media.

He added that he was facing no investigation and disciplinary process when he was removed from his position. 

“I have had a sterling career reputation; my misstep was to attract the ire of Minister Steenhuisen, who has taken serious umbrage to my refusal to accede to overt attempts to hijack DFFE’s mandate,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the DA’s spokesperson Jan de Villiers, said the FLC has investigated the matter's regarding the reports made to the Public Protector and will report to the party’s federal executive, which will consider the recommendations of the FLC.

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za