1. John Steenhuisen has been the leader of the Democratic Alliance since November 2020, having served as the interim leader for one year from November 2019.
60 Facts About John Steenhuisen
1. 2.
John Steenhuisen served as the 20th leader of the Opposition from October 2019 to June 2024.
3.
John Steenhuisen was appointed as the DA's caucus leader in 2006.
4.
John Steenhuisen joined the National Assembly in July 2011, and he became the Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in February 2012 following his appointment by Lindiwe Mazibuko.
5.
In 2014, John Steenhuisen was appointed Chief Whip of the Official Opposition by Mmusi Maimane, the newly elected DA Parliamentary Leader and Leader of the Official Opposition.
6.
John Steenhuisen served as Chief Whip until October 2019, when Maimane resigned as the official opposition leader and party leader.
7.
Shortly afterwards, John Steenhuisen was elected unopposed to replace him as the Leader of the Opposition.
8.
John Steenhuisen was re-elected to another term as party leader on 2 April 2023.
9.
John Steenhuisen was appointed Minister of Agriculture on 3 July 2024.
10.
John Steenhuisen was born in Durban and matriculated from Northwood Boys' High School, an English-medium, ex-Model C high school in Durban in 1993.
11.
John Steenhuisen once told Parliament that he had enrolled for a bachelor's degree in politics and law at the University of South Africa in 1994, but he could not finish the course due to work and financial circumstances.
12.
In November 2024, John Steenhuisen announced that he would be registering to study at UNISA from 2025.
13.
John Steenhuisen started as an ordinary Democratic Party activist before he became a branch member.
14.
At the age of 22 in 1999, John Steenhuisen was elected to the then Durban City Council as the DP councillor for Durban North.
15.
John Steenhuisen was the youngest municipal councillor at that time.
16.
At the 2000 municipal election, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality was formed and John Steenhuisen was elected as a councillor for the newly established DA.
17.
John Steenhuisen continued to serve as an ordinary councillor until his appointment as the DA's caucus leader in 2006.
18.
John Steenhuisen was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in the 2009 general election.
19.
John Steenhuisen was elected as the KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance at the party's Provincial Congress held later that same year.
20.
John Steenhuisen held this position until 24 October 2010, after he announced on 18 October his intention to resign amid the disclosure of an extramarital affair.
21.
John Steenhuisen continued to serve as an MPL and the DA's caucus leader until his move to the National Assembly.
22.
John Steenhuisen joined the National Assembly on 19 July 2011 by replacing Mark Steele, a DA MP who, in turn, assumed John Steenhuisen's seat in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
23.
In February 2012, John Steenhuisen was appointed by Lindiwe Mazibuko as Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
24.
John Steenhuisen is currently a member of the Rules Committee.
25.
John Steenhuisen had previously served as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management.
26.
John Steenhuisen lost to Thomas Walters at the party's Federal Congress.
27.
John Steenhuisen was appointed as chief whip of the DA parliamentary caucus by Mmusi Maimane on 29 May 2014.
28.
John Steenhuisen was reappointed to the post in May 2019.
29.
John Steenhuisen declared his candidacy to succeed Maimane as parliamentary leader and was elected unopposed on 27 October 2019.
30.
John Steenhuisen faced KwaZulu-Natal MPL Mbali Ntuli for the position.
31.
On 1 November 2020, John Steenhuisen was announced as the new leader of the party.
32.
On 1 November 2022, John Steenhuisen announced his intention to seek re-election at the DA's Federal Congress in 2023.
33.
John Steenhuisen told supporters that while things had improved in the DA, there were still challenges.
34.
John Steenhuisen conceded that coalitions were difficult to manage as the party governs four out of the eight metropolitan municipalities and multiple municipalities across the country through coalition governments.
35.
At the party's Federal Congress on 2 April 2023, it was announced that John Steenhuisen had won a second term as party leader, defeating former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.
36.
John Steenhuisen led the Democratic Alliance into the 2021 national municipal elections.
37.
John Steenhuisen defended the posters and said that the party would not apologise for putting them up.
38.
DA Federal Council Chairwoman Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen both opposed a coalition agreement with the EFF.
39.
John Steenhuisen removed Phumzile van Damme as Shadow Minister of Communications and replaced her with Zakhele Mbhele.
40.
John Steenhuisen granted Van Damme a health-related sabbatical until March 2021.
41.
John Steenhuisen subsequently accused Steenhuisen of trying to use her health sideline her.
42.
John Steenhuisen then claimed he had made the sabbatical optional and Van Damme could continue with her parliamentary duties.
43.
On 12 February 2021, Van Damme announced that her disagreement with John Steenhuisen regarding her sabbatical had been resolved and she would return to work, focusing on digital technologies.
44.
John Steenhuisen later resigned as a DA MP in May 2021, citing a clique of individuals.
45.
On 18 August 2022, John Steenhuisen conducted a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet.
46.
John Steenhuisen promoted the deputy chief whip of the DA parliamentary caucus Siviwe Gwarube to chief whip of the DA caucus, while former chief whip Natasha Mazzone was appointed the National Security Advisor to Steenhuisen.
47.
John Steenhuisen had been under pressure to remove Mazzone as chief whip by DA MPs.
48.
John Steenhuisen's trip has been criticized, by many who said that he should focus on local South African issues.
49.
On 8 May 2020, John Steenhuisen delivered a speech in which he called for the national lockdown to be ended.
50.
John Steenhuisen said that the results showed that South Africa was "heading into coalition country" and expressed a willingness to work alongside the ANC, adding that he would have to first consult with other signatories of the Multi-Party Charter.
51.
That day, John Steenhuisen announced that the DA had entered into a coalition agreement with the ANC and provided its support for Cyril Ramaphosa's reelection as president.
52.
John Steenhuisen was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture in Ramaphosa's cabinet on 3 July 2024, as part of the coalition government.
53.
John Steenhuisen said he would continue projects started before the election and focus on sustainability for rural areas and food security.
54.
Additionally, John Steenhuisen said he would try to settle South Africa's citrus dispute with the European Union and maintain South Africa's part in the United States' African Growth and Opportunity Act.
55.
Some conceded the appointment of the crime wardens was simply "ill-informed", but said John Steenhuisen was being "classist" and discriminatory against poor people who buy their clothes at Pep outlets.
56.
John Steenhuisen is the leader of the DA's centre-right faction.
57.
John Steenhuisen is an advocate for racial equality, anti-racism and anti-corruption.
58.
John Steenhuisen currently resides in uMhlanga, and is a supporter of the Sharks rugby union team and the AmaZulu FC soccer club.
59.
John Steenhuisen was married for 10 years to Julie John Steenhuisen, a fellow Durban native.
60.
John Steenhuisen is married to Terry, and they have a daughter together.