Steenhuisen's exit reshapes DA leadership race: Msimanga vs Hill-Lewis

With reports indicating that DA federal leader John Steenhuisen will not contest the party’s leadership race in April, attention has shifted to who could emerge as his successor.

As South Africa heads into a critical local government election year, the DA is under pressure to present a leader who can broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base.

Political analysts say the leadership contest will test whether the party can position itself as a credible alternative government rather than a permanent opposition.

At this stage, two names are emerging as likely frontrunners: Gauteng opposition leader Solly Msimanga and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Other figures being mentioned include Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi. However, analysts suggest that Steenhuisen’s decision not to run has fundamentally reshaped the race.

Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said Steenhuisen’s withdrawal has “opened a Pandora’s box”, despite assurances from DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille that the party will not fracture during the succession process.

“There was no clear indication that Steenhuisen would pull out of the race,” Mngomezulu said. “His withdrawal creates space for almost anyone to emerge. It could even open the door for someone like Solly Msimanga.”

Mngomezulu cautioned, however, that the final outcome may hinge on uncomfortable realities around race and internal party dynamics.

“The DA always says race and gender do not matter, but that is theory,” he said. “If it comes down to a straight contest between Geordin Hill-Lewis and Solly Msimanga, then Msimanga will struggle.”

Another analyst, Professor Kedibone Phago, said Steenhuisen’s exit may be linked to mounting internal pressure following the fallout involving former DA MP Dion George, who resigned from the party after accusing its leadership of lacking transparency and honesty.

George claimed internal processes were opaque and that raising concerns came at personal cost, reigniting debate about whether the DA practices internally the values it promotes publicly.

Zille rejected these claims, accusing George of bringing the party into disrepute and noting that he had resigned before answering to a pending disciplinary process.

“It is unfortunate that Dr George resigned before accounting to the DA’s Federal Legal Commission,” Zille said. “There are allegations relating to irregular staff appointments, the misuse of departmental information for internal party matters, and damaging the party through the media.”

Behind the scenes, relations between Steenhuisen and George had deteriorated sharply. Their disagreements centred on strategy, communication, and the DA’s role in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

George accused Steenhuisen of misusing a party-issued credit card for personal expenses, including hotel stays, car rentals, and household purchases. He claimed to have confiscated the card in March 2025 due to what he described as serious financial irregularities.

While Steenhuisen has defended the DA’s participation in the GNU as pragmatic and responsible, critics within the party view it as a dilution of the DA’s role as a distinct opposition force.

Phago believed that, despite Zille publicly backing Steenhuisen during the dispute with George, recent developments suggest that influential factions within the party no longer see him as the right leader for the road ahead.

“It means there is a faction, led by Zille, that believes he is not the right fit,” Phago said. “They know the ANC is weakening and they see an opening. That is why the DA is aggressively targeting Johannesburg. This is strategic.”

He added that Steenhuisen was unlikely to attract the black middle class that the party now needs to grow.

“I am not surprised he stepped aside. He was never going to be the leader when it mattered most,” Phago said.

Who is in the running:

• Solly Msimanga: Solly Tshepiso Msimanga is the leader of the opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and the DA’s Gauteng provincial leader. He previously served as executive mayor of the City of Tshwane from 2016 to 2019, and has been in the provincial legislature since 2014. He holds a BCompt and a National Diploma in Marketing Management from the University of Pretoria.
• Geordin Hill-Lewis: Geordin Hill-Lewis has been the executive mayor of Cape Town since November 2021. He spent more than a decade in the National Assembly, where he served in the DA’s shadow cabinet, including as shadow minister of finance and trade and industry. He holds degrees from the University of Cape Town and the University of London, and is the DA’s deputy provincial leader in the Western Cape.
• Solly Malatsi: Solly Malatsi is the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies in the Government of National Unity. He served as a DA MP from 2014 and previously held senior party roles, including national spokesperson and deputy federal chairperson. He holds degrees from the University of Limpopo and the University of the Witwatersrand.
• Alan Winde: Alan Winde is the premier of the Western Cape, first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2024. He has been a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament since 1999 and has held several senior portfolios, including finance, economic opportunities, and community safety. Before entering politics, he was an entrepreneur.

karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za