Steenhuisen Out at Agriculture: Hill-Lewis Asks President for Wider Reshuffle in Opening Act as DA Leader

Democratic Alliance Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa asking him to remove Minister John Steenhuisen, Hill-Lewis’ predecessor as leader, as Minister of Agriculture, as part of a wider reshuffle of the DA’s portfolios in the Government of National Unity. This comes after Steenhuisen’s mangled management of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in livestock, which Hill-Lewis had given Steenhuisen two months since his election to correct, according to IOL.

This decision comes after the High Court ruled that farmers can procure the FMD vaccination from private companies, given the government's hapless management of the procurement and inoculation process. Hill-Lewis has asked the President to appoint Willie Aucamp, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment to Steenhuisen’s post, while John Steenhuisen finds himself demoted to Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

This comes as part of a wider reshuffle of the DA’s portfolio in the GNU, including David Maynier being promoted to cabinet from the Western Cape Government, taking over Aucamp’s former portfolio. Some see this as an act of control by Hill-Lewis, who is flexing his power as DA leader after his election two months ago, while he writes that this shows the DA’s “values in actions,” and shows that no matter how “hard the decision,” that he will seek to advance the “attainment of an open, opportunity society for all.”