Hill-Lewis stands firm on Steenhuisen shake-up

Geordin Hill-Lewis has admitted that his relationship with former DA leader John Steenhuisen has been left bruised by the fallout from the party’s bitter leadership shake-up, saying it will take time before the pair rebuild their once-close political partnership.

In an interview with the Sunday Times ahead of the DA’s federal council meeting yesterday,

Hill-Lewis admitted his relationship with Steenhuisen was bruised by the fallout from the party’s leadership shake-up. It would take time before the pair rebuilt their political once-close political partnership.

Hill-Lewis, who was elected to replace Steenhuisen at the DA federal congress in April, indicated this week he had read the riot act to his predecessor, telling him to stop speaking negatively about the party in public.

The DA leader, who is also the mayor of Cape Town and has a long-standing friendship with Steenhuisen, was speaking to the Sunday Times ahead of the party’s federal council meeting held in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The federal council, the DA’s policy-making and governing body, yesterday met for the first time since the blue party was rocked by a scandal in which Steenhuisen told News24 how a company owned by former DA leader Tony Leon was using its proximity to DA ministers for the benefit of its clients.

It’s going to take some time for John and me to find each other

—  Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA leader

The DA leader acknowledged for the first time the personal cost of his decision to remove Steenhuisen from his post as agriculture minister, while insisting he had no regrets about it.

“It’s going to take some time for John and me to find each other,” he said.

“But I have a lot of affection for him. I always have. I ...really hope he does a great job, and I 100% support him in doing a great job [as deputy minister] in the trade & industry portfolio. I think he has a lot of talent and value to add there, and I genuinely wish him the best.”

The candid admission comes weeks after Steenhuisen’s explosive interview and his public clash with Leon plunged the party into fresh turmoil, overshadowing Hill-Lewis’s leadership overhaul and reigniting questions about divisions at the top of the party.

The controversy was expected to dominate Saturday’s federal council meeting. “I have no doubt that this will come up at FedCo,” Hill-Lewis said.

But he was unapologetic about sidelining his predecessor. “I think removing him was the right decision for the country and for the party. I’ll defend it to anyone.”

He dismissed claims that Steenhuisen’s remarks exposed misconduct in the DA, accusing political opponents of manufacturing a scandal where none existed.

“It’s almost laughable. There is just one thing conspicuously and glaringly absent from any of this, and that is a single suggestion of any wrongdoing by anyone,” he said.

He has to stop these distractions that give his political opponents the opportunity to have fun and try to make hay, even if there is absolutely no substance whatsoever

—  Hill-Lewis

“I don’t think there is actually anything that needs addressing. John made a comment; that comment was jumped on by our political opponents, and they made hay of it, but there was nothing there to sustain it.”

Hill-Lewis said he had personally urged Steenhuisen to leave the controversy behind and focus on his new role.

“I have spoken to John Steenhuisen. I said we have to focus on the positive work he has to do at trade & industry. He has to stop these distractions that give his political opponents the opportunity to have fun and try to make hay, even if there is absolutely no substance whatsoever.”

Hill-Lewis praised Steenhuisen’s record in government, pointing to his work in opening export markets for South African agricultural products. “He has achievements under his belt in the trade space from agriculture. He did good work getting various new fruit products into new export markets in China and beyond,” he said.

“That is the kind of niche he made for himself, and he really scored some wins there. He must now go and build on those successes, replicate them, and work positively — head down, focused on the goal in the trade & industry portfolio.”

Hill-Lewis also criticised Steenhuisen’s public dispute with Leon, saying it had gifted the DA’s rivals an unnecessary political opportunity.

“The public disagreement he’s had with the other former leader, Tony Leon, has absolutely not been helpful and has been jumped on by our opponents to try and sensationalise that which is really just nothing. Hopefully it’s over now and John can focus positively on the work that they have.”