DA Reshuffles Elite as Steenhuisen Exits Agriculture After R80bn FMD Disaster

John Steenhuisen has been removed as Minister of Agriculture following his disastrous handling of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, which cost the South African economy an estimated R80 billion. Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed the reshuffle on Wednesday, shifting Steenhuisen to a deputy minister post while Willie Aucamp takes over the agriculture portfolio.

How the DA rewards a R80 billion failure

The Government of National Unity (GNU) continues to shield Democratic Alliance elites from real accountability. Steenhuisen, who led the DA for years before stepping down in April, oversaw an agriculture department that failed to contain a severe FMD outbreak. The highly contagious viral illness has spread across all nine provinces, with cases rising into the hundreds, including more than 620 in the Free State. The national damage is estimated at R80 billion, while the Free State agriculture sector alone has reportedly lost nearly R18 million. Yet, his punishment is a lateral move to the lucrative position of deputy minister of trade, industry, and competition. In the GNU, catastrophic failure at the expense of the broader economy is simply a stepping stone.

Why the Transvaal Agricultural Union is celebrating

The Transvaal Agricultural Union (TLU SA), an organization historically aligned with white commercial farming interests, has openly welcomed Steenhuisen's exit. TLU SA's Henry Geldenhuys criticized Steenhuisen's handling of the FMD crisis as extremely poor. Steenhuisen inspected the arrival of one million Biogenesis Bago vaccine doses from Argentina at OR Tambo International Airport in February, but the rollout remained a disaster.

We made several attempts to move the rollout of the vaccine to the private sector, but there were constant obstacles. Steenhuisen and the government dragged their feet in speeding up that process.

Geldenhuys noted that farmers suffered massive livestock losses, particularly in the dairy industry, because of these delays. Steenhuisen's arrogance was further exposed when a leaked email from his office revealed that his chief of staff, Jana le Roux, shared a farmer's desperate request for FMD engagement for some amusement. Steenhuisen later dismissed the cruel mockery as merely being in bad taste. This incident exposes a culture of elitist disdain within the DA, where the suffering of ordinary citizens, even their own base, is treated as a joke.

What other changes did the DA demand in the GNU?

Hill-Lewis is using this moment to consolidate his grip on the GNU's levers of power. He has requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to rubber stamp a sweeping list of changes that further entrench the DA's influence over critical state functions. The DA currently holds six minister posts and six deputy minister posts. The proposed shifts include:

• Moving Western Cape education MEC David Maynier into forestry, fisheries, and environment, replacing Aucamp.
• Shifting Alexandra Abrahams from deputy trade minister to deputy minister of energy and electricity, replacing Samantha Graham-Mare, who would leave the executive entirely.
• Bringing Jack Bloom, the DA's Gauteng health spokesperson, in as deputy minister of water and sanitation, replacing Isaac Seitlholo.
• Removing Mimmy Gondwe as deputy minister of higher education and replacing her with Yusuf Cassim, currently the DA's Eastern Cape provincial chairperson.

Why does Ramaphosa allow the DA to dictate cabinet posts?

Hill-Lewis framed these changes as a demonstration of DA values in action, claiming they show accountability and high standards of performance. He credited Steenhuisen for spearheading the expansion of market access and making progress on vaccine procurement. However, when a minister who presides over an R80 billion disaster is simply shifted to another high paying government job, it is not accountability. It is the protection of white political and economic privilege. President Ramaphosa's expected compliance raises serious questions about who truly holds power in the GNU. The Democratic Alliance continues to operate as a state within a state, reshuffling their elites while the working class and the broader agricultural economy bear the devastating cost of their incompetence.

Why was John Steenhuisen removed as agriculture minister?

John Steenhuisen was removed due to his extremely poor handling of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, which cost the economy an estimated R80 billion and sparked outrage after his office mocked a farmer's plea for help.

How much did the FMD outbreak cost South Africa?

The FMD outbreak is estimated to have caused R80 billion in national losses, with the Free State agriculture sector alone losing nearly R18 million.

Who is the new minister of agriculture?

Willie Aucamp, a farmer himself who previously served as the minister of forestry, fisheries, and environment, will take over as the minister of agriculture pending President Ramaphosa's approval.