DA’s John Steenhuisen Bashed for Classifying Smaller Parties As Political Mercenaries

• DA leader John Steenhuisen says the Western Cape's most significant threats are political mercenaries like the Patriotic Alliance, Rise Mzansi and the GOOD Party
• The Democratic Alliance party leader accused several other parties of targeting the DA-led Western Cape and not ANC-led provinces
• Opposition parties lashed out at the DA and accused it of failing to counter the ANC but in fact adopting some of its habits

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered politics and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years. Do you have a political story you would like to share? Email zingisa.chirwa@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.

The Democratic Alliance's John Steenhuisen's speech while delivering the party's election manifesto campaign in Paarl has been labelled as fearmongering.

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Steenhuisen’s Paarl speech

The DA leader said the Western Cape's largest threats are parties such as the Patriotic Alliance, Rise Mzansi, the GOOD Party and the National Coloured Congress, which he called political mercenaries.

In his statement, which he shared on X, Steenhuisen told his supporters to vote for the DA and questioned why the smaller parties focused on garnering votes in the DA-led Western Cape, not provinces run by the ANC.

Political parties respond

Rise Mzansi's Irfaan Mangera told EWN that the DA wasted its opportunity to counter the ANC and adopted some of the ruling party's habits instead.

The PA's Gayton McKenzie told TimesLIVE that if Steenhuisen can make such statements publicly, one can only imagine what he says behind closed doors.

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“Can you imagine how he behaves in closed meetings? I was there and I was shocked every day, just as some of you are.”

Netizens weigh in

Some South Africans support Steenhuisen's sentiments while others disagree.

Constitution First said:

“You are headstrong on this matter of labelling opposition parties as mercenaries. Not incumbents like yourself and the ANC.”

Chocolate City commented:

“He means only for white people in the Western Cape; how about Kayelisha, where the majority and poor live? More than 80 % of the population in the Western Cape live in poverty. Vote PA.”

Stan stated:

"You think the Western Cape is another country. There is a manifesto for the WC and another one for the rest of the country."

Andre Le Roux shared his view:

“Main crisis in WC is crime, and you can do nothing about it. We must get ANC out or we must make WC independent.”

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Thulani Ngobeni added:

“They want to remove you from the Western Cape to discredit the good work you are doing there.”

Cyril Ramaphosa accuses John Steenhuisen of racism

Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa slammed Steenhuisen over his alleged racist remarks.

The president said he was disappointed in Steenhuisen's comments on Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens. Steenhuisen reportedly called the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens drunkards who shop at Pep.

Source: Briefly News