Julius Malema Declines to Comment on John Steenhuisen’s Leadership Exit Plans, South Africans Debate
- Julius Malema has declined to comment on John Steenhuisen's announcement regarding his plans
- Steenhuisen held a press briefing about not contesting the Democratic Alliance's leadership
- Social media users weighed in on Malema's comment, sharing mixed reactions to the fact that he didn't say anything
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, 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.
GAUTENG – Julius Malema has declined to comment on John Steenhuisen’s major announcement, saying that he was not familiar with the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) succession battles.
Steenhuisen, the leader of the DA, announced that he would not be contesting the leadership of the party at the elective conference in April 2026. Steenhuisen, who has been party leader since 2019, made the announcement at a press briefing in KwaZulu-Natal on 4 February 2026.
During an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) press briefing on 4 February, Malema touched on a range of topics and was questioned on his thoughts about Steenhuisen’s decision, but declined to comment.
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What did Malema say about the situation?
During the EFF presser, the Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets said he was reluctant to weigh in on Steenhuisen's announcement as he was not familiar with the DA internal contestations and its succession battles.
Malema admitted that at the time, he was also tempted to comment on African National Congress (ANC) matters, because he was a former member, but never the DA’s issues.
"I've never been to a DA conference, nor have I been anywhere close to where they held a conference. I don't know where they hold their conferences, and I don't know what happens.
“From time to time, I get tempted to comment on ANC conferences because I know where they come from, I know how they work. When I was in the ANC, until they expelled me, I've never lost a single conference," he stated.
Steenhuisen mentions EFF in speech
While Malema didn’t want to discuss Steenhuisen’s announcement, the DA leader did mention the EFF in his speech.
The Minister of Agriculture said that the threat of the populist Doomsday Coalition entering government had not disappeared. Steenhuisen was talking about the EFF and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
He recalled what happened in the KZN Legislature after the EFF and MK Party failed to remove Premier Thami Ntuli through a motion of no confidence. Violence broke out in the gallery, and even the Speaker was assaulted.
“Make no mistake about it: the scenes we saw on that day are what awaits all of South Africa if we ever allow the MK-EFF Doomsday Coalition into power,” Steenhuisen warned.
South Africans react to Malema’s comments
Social media users weighed in on Malema’s comments, sharing mixed reactions to them.
Cee Mo said:
“Baas John is joining the Red Berets. Watch the space.”
Bafana Wa DiToffolux stated:
“He’s finally learning. Sometimes it’s better just to stay quiet and observe like everybody else.”
Mohau Thabiso added:
“I like this oke. He wants to give an informed opinion as he usually does.”
Wouter de Vos claimed:
“Ja, rather worry about your upcoming prison term than the end of someone else’s political term in office,”
@Time2Coach asked:
“Who needs his comments?”
AfriForum accuses Steenhuisen of siding with ANC
Briefly News reported that AfriForum criticised Steenhuisen, accusing him of aligning with the ANC and neglecting Afrikaner interests.
AfriForum's Kallie Kriel said he hoped the new leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) would bring about change.
Social media users weighed in on Kriel's comments regarding Steenhuisen's leadership and party alignment.
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Source: Briefly News
