Roland Schoeman Questions Michael Beaumont’s Criticism of DA, Brings Up John Steenhuisen History
- Former Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman has questioned whether Michael Beaumont's personal history with John Steenhuisen influences his repeated criticism of the DA
- Schoeman's remarks sparked debate on X, with some users accusing him of participating in a coordinated attack against ActionSA and its leadership
- Speaking to Briefly News, Schoeman explained why he raised the issue and clarified that he was questioning Beaumont's political motivations
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Former Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman has questioned whether ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont's personal history with the former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen influences his repeated criticism of the party.
Source: UGC
Schoeman raised the question in a post on X on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, after Beaumont shared a message about ActionSA's coalition negotiations following the local government elections.
"Beaumont, your bitterness towards Steenhuisen is hard to ignore. You seem incapable of saying anything about the DA without attacking it. How much of this is actually about politics, and how much is personal?" Schoeman wrote.
His remarks prompted a debate on the platform, with some users accusing him of targeting Beaumont and others questioning his comments.
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Schoeman explains his remarks about Beaumont
In the post that prompted Schoeman's response, Beaumont said ActionSA's coalition negotiations were being guided by the interests of service delivery and its constituents rather than the wishes of political opponents.
"Another day of negotiating coalitions based on the best service delivery interests of South Africans and our constituents, and not based on the wishes of our opponents and those who have worked to destroy us," Beaumont wrote.
When approached by Briefly News for comment, Schoeman said his question was about whether Beaumont's personal history with Steenhuisen could be influencing his political positions.
"Regarding the post, Beaumont's personal history with Steenhuisen is well documented and has been discussed publicly by Beaumont himself.
"My question is whether that history has any bearing on his political positions, particularly his repeated criticism of the DA.
"It's a question about political motivations, not a claim that I've established what those motivations are," Schoeman told Briefly News.
The exchange comes amid coalition negotiations in Gauteng, where ActionSA has emerged as an influential player in determining who governs several hung metropolitan councils.
Beaumont previously spoke on Steenhuisen
The history Schoeman referred to dates back to 2010, when Steenhuisen, then the DA's KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader, became embroiled in an affair scandal involving Terry Kass Beaumont, who was married to Michael Beaumont at the time.
Contemporary reports by The Witness and IOL documented the controversy, which led to Steenhuisen resigning as the DA's provincial leader in KwaZulu-Natal.
Beaumont revisited the painful chapter in a November 2024 interview with TimesLIVE, explaining that he had married Terry in 2010 but their marriage ended in divorce three months later.
He also spoke about the difficulties of working closely with Steenhuisen, who was his political superior at the time. However, Beaumont rejected suggestions that the events continued to influence his political decisions.
"I remained in the DA for nine years after that incident. There's certainly nothing about my political choices today that has anything to do with those events," he told TimesLIVE.
Schoeman's remarks attracted different reactions, with some X users questioning his motives. Zakes Khanyile suggested that the criticism was part of a coordinated effort against ActionSA and its leadership.
"DA says Herman Mashaba hates Zille; now the same DA is saying Michael Beaumont hates John Steenhuisen. This is a well-coordinated attack on ActionSA and its leadership across all media platforms," Khanyile wrote.
He argued that ActionSA was busy negotiating with various political parties to find a way forward. Another user, Stephan Gerber, defended Beaumont, describing him as one of South Africa's most level-headed politicians and telling Schoeman to stick to swimming.
Roland Schoeman criticises Julius Malema
Briefly News previously reported that Roland Schoeman has defended his criticism of Julius Malema, saying his comments were directed at the EFF leader's rhetoric and political ideology
The former Olympic champion believes South Africans are increasingly tired of political leaders who rely on racial division rather than meaningful solutions
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Source: Briefly News
