Key facts
- DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis requested cabinet changes from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- The DA proposed moving John Steenhuisen from agriculture minister to deputy trade minister.
- The DA also proposed Willie Aucamp as the new agriculture minister.
- The DA has the right to ask the president to change its representatives in the cabinet as part of the Government of National Unity coalition agreement.
South Africa's Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the governing coalition, has formally requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to alter its representation within the cabinet. DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis communicated this request, seeking to transition former party leader John Steenhuisen from his current position as agriculture minister to the role of deputy minister of trade, industry, and competition. The DA, which agreed to 12 cabinet positions as part of the June 2024 Government of National Unity coalition, retains the right to propose changes to its appointed ministers. Steenhuisen, who led the DA until April 2024, has been focused on addressing a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak during his tenure as agriculture minister. The party has put forward current Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp to succeed Steenhuisen as agriculture minister, with the aim of bringing the disease crisis under control.