The Democratic Alliance will elect a new federal leader at its congress in Gauteng on 11 and 12 April. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sedibeng district councillor Sibusiso Dyonase are the two candidates contesting the position.
Why it matters: The DA is the second-largest party in the Government of National Unity. Its new leader will shape the coalition’s direction and the party’s strategy for the 2026 local government elections.
Steenhuisen steps aside
John Steenhuisen announced on 4 February that he would not seek a third term as DA leader. He said the decision would allow him to focus on his role as Minister of Agriculture and the country’s foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
“For the rest of this term of office, I will focus all of my time and energy as Minister of Agriculture on defeating the most devastating foot-and-mouth disease outbreak our country has ever seen,” Steenhuisen told a press conference in Durban.
According to Daily Maverick, senior party members said Steenhuisen’s position had become untenable and he had negotiated the best exit deal available to him.
The candidates
Geordin Hill-Lewis, 35, is the Mayor of Cape Town and is widely regarded as the frontrunner. He accepted his nomination on 27 February, saying he wanted to lead the DA without “the president’s sword over my neck,” a reference to the coalition dynamics that had constrained Steenhuisen.
Sibusiso Dyonase leads the DA caucus in Sedibeng district municipality in Gauteng. His candidacy offers delegates an alternative from outside the party’s Western Cape base.
What happens next
Around 1,000 delegates will vote at the congress. The new leader will also need to navigate the DA’s relationship with the ANC in the GNU, where tensions have recently resurfaced over cabinet policy disagreements.
Delegates will also elect a new federal chairperson and three deputy federal chairpersons.