Dion George Accuses John Steenhuisen of Being Captured by the ANC, Quits the DA After 30 Years
- Dr Dion George has officially quit as a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) after 30 years as a member
- The former Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, also made allegations against the leader, John Steenhuisen
- Dr George claimed that the party was captured by the African National Congress (ANC) through Steenhuisen
- Briefly News reached out to the DA for comment about the allegations against Steenhuisen and received a brief reply
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE - Dr Dion George has accused John Steenhuisen (DA) of being captured by the African National Congress (ANC).
Dr George, the former Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, made the statement during an exclusive interview with eNCA on 15 January 2026.
Dr George has been in the news of late after he was removed as the minister in November 2025 for alleged poor performance and was replaced by Willie Aucamp.
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Dr George accuses Steenhuisen of being captured
During his bombshell interview, where he also quit the DA after 30 years, Dr George alleged that the DA was captured through its leader, Steenhuisen.
He said that Steenhuisen wanted to remain in the Government of National Unity at any cost to the DA's principles and the country's interests.
“He effectively muzzled the DA’s Parliamentary caucus into silence on issues crucial to South Africa.”
He stated that he could not support a party and government whose leader compromised his values and principles for personal gain, while South Africans cannot find jobs and are not safe in their homes.
“The DA deserves a leader of a higher calibre,” he stated.
Dr George accuses the DA of cooking the books
Dr George stated that the final straw for him was when DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC) cleared Steenhuisen of any wrongdoing with relation to the party credit card.
Dr George alleged that Steenhuisen was abusing DA donors’ money by incurring expenses for which the card was not intended.
“He incurred the irregular expenses even though the DA - at his request- was paying him an additional allowance so that his annual compensation was on par with that of the Deputy President,” Dr George claimed.
Source: Getty Images
He added that when he took away the card, the expenses Steenhuisen incurred could not be reconciled. In its findings, the party’s FLC said that the expenditure on the card had been fully reconciled and that there was no prima facie evidence of misappropriation.
Dr George did not agree with this.
“The only way a 'full reconciliation' could occur, as claimed by the DA FLC, is by subsequently cooking the books. It must be asked who did that 'reconciliation'? he asked.
He noted that this was the final straw for him and prompted his decision to leave the party. The DA has since released a statement about Dr George's decision.
Briefly News contacted John Steenhuisen for comment, and received a reply that the query was escalated to the Chairperson of the Federal Council's Office for comment. None was received at the time of publishing.
DA faces internal strife after Steenhuisen is cleared
Briefly News reported that some DA members allegedly criticised the FLC for exonerating party leader Steenhuisen.
The criticism comes after the DA cleared its leader of any misconduct related to the misuse of the party's credit card.
Insiders reportedly claimed that the FLC's process lacked independence, favouring Steenhuisen's re-election prospects.
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Source: Briefly News
