John Steenhuisen Hangs Up His Boots As DA Leader, Confirms He Will Not Run for 3rd Term
- The Democratic Alliance (DA) president, John Steenhuisen, confirmed that he will not be running for a third term as the party's leader
- He made the announcement at a press briefing on 4 February 2026, where he listed the achievements that the party obtained under his leadership
- He also warned the country of the coalition between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
Source: Getty Images
ETHEKWINI, KWAZULU-NATAL — The Democratic Alliance (DA) president, John Steenhuisen, confirmed that he will not campaign for a third term as the party prepares for its upcoming elections.
Steenhuisen spoke during a press briefing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on 4 February 2026. Steenhuisen slammed the EFF and MK Party coalition in KwaZulu-Natal and said that violence would be the order of the day if the "Doomsday Alliance" came into power.
Steenhuisen to focus on battling FMD
Steenhuisen added that he will pour his focus and energy into battling the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, which has ravaged cattle and livestock in the country. He added that he delivered everything he said he would deliver to the party in 2019. He added that there was nothing wrong with the DA that couldn't be fixed by the DA.
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"It's mission accomplished for me," he said.
Steenhuisen said that his term will be remembered for leading the DA into national government and putting South Africa on a new path to prosperity. He said the next mission is to build on his legacy and the Government of National Unity's success to turn it into the biggest party that will lead the local, provincial, and national government spheres. The DA is expected to officially open nominations for those planning to run for party leader.
Source: Briefly News
