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.

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. This came after speculation that he was expected to resign as the DA leader.

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.

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Dr Dion George welcomes Steenhuisen's exit as DA leader, believes he should step down immediately

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.

"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.

Former Minister welcomes Steenhuisen's exit

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Tony Leon endorses Geordin Hill-Lewis as DA leader amid Steenhuisen's exit

Dr Dion George, the former Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, welcomed Steenhuisen's decision. He praised Steenhuisen as a brilliant Chief Whip in Parliament, but he was not capable of being a minister. He said Steenhuisen staying as a minister did not make sense. George added that Steenhuisen should have stepped down immediately and accused him of not managing the DA in the Government of National Unity well. He believed that the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, was a good choice to replace him.

Tony Leon endorses Geordin Hill-Lewis

In a related article, Briefly News reported that former DA leader Tony Leon endorsed Hill-Lewis as the next DA leader. This was after Steenhuisen announced that he would not contest the upcoming internal elections for a third term.

Leon said he had known Hill-Lewis since his school years and rated his political and personal abilities highly. He said Hill-Lewis was a strong talent and believed that he would be an effective leader of the party and beyond the political arena.

Source: Briefly News