The Democratic Alliance (DA) has initiated a formal internal investigation into the public dispute between its federal leader, John Steenhuisen, and the party’s former shadow minister of environmental affairs, Dion George, a party spokesperson confirmed.
The party’s federal executive has referred the matter to its Federal Legal Commission (FLC), the DA’s internal disciplinary body. This follows a statement released by George on Friday after he was removed from the shadow cabinet, in which he claimed to be the victim of a smear campaign and vowed to clear his name.
The allegations at the heart of the spat include a claim from George that, in his role as the party’s federal finance chair, he had to revoke Steenhuisen’s official DA credit card. George alleged the card was being used to order Uber Eats meals for Steenhuisen’s family.
DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, in a media interview, confirmed the FLC will investigate “any and all breaches of the DA’s constitution and our values and principles.” She stated the investigation would look into “everything that is leveled before it,” including the credit card allegations and any other related claims.
“The investigation is not just about John Steenhuisen as our federal leader and Dr. Dion George as the federal finance chairperson, but any and all other individuals who are involved,” Khakhau said.
She added that the party has issued disciplinary notices to all involved to prevent further public airing of grievances, emphasizing that the party has a proper internal mechanism to address such issues.
When asked directly if the FLC would investigate the credit card claim, Khakhau confirmed it would, stating the commission’s role is to determine the truth of all claims and the extent of any breach of party rules.
Khakhau sought to assure the public that the investigation would be impartial, regardless of the seniority of those involved. “We don’t have an animal farm situation where the rules apply leniently to one person versus the other,” she said.
Cabinet Reshuffle Questions
The public fallout began when George was removed from his position as the DA’s shadow minister of environmental affairs. Khakhau explained that the removal was not due to any disciplinary charge, but was part of a “re-imagination” of the party’s contributions within the Government of National Unity, proposed by Steenhuisen and ratified by the federal executive.
George was replaced by Dave Bryant. However, Bryant’s appointment has drawn scrutiny from the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA), which has raised concerns over his close links to the hunting industry and the potential influence on government conservation policy.
When questioned about these concerns, Khakhau stated that Bryant’s alleged links to the hunting lobby “was never served as motivation” for his appointment during the federal executive’s deliberations. She defended the appointment, stating it was based on aligning skills and competencies with the party’s goals, and that party leaders have the prerogative to organize their cabinets.
She could not, however, deny that Bryant has close links to the hunting lobby, noting that people have the “freedom to associate” and that such extracurricular activities do not automatically indicate a policy bias.
The FLC’s investigation is now tasked with untangling the facts from the allegations. Khakhau pledged that the federal executive would act on the FLC’s recommendations once the investigation is complete, affirming the party’s commitment to accountability and ethical leadership.