By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) federal executive committee (fedex) has accepted a report clearing party leader John Steenhuisen over allegations of credit card misuse.
Steenhuisen was accused of abusing his official party credit card by using it to buy takeaways, among others.
At that time he responded to the allegations, saying that Dr Dion George, who serves as DA shadow minister of finance, is just “bitter” over the changes made to the National Executive caucus, in which George was removed from his position as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
He acknowledged that the card was returned to the party, but claimed that he made the decision to do so.
Steenhuisen also received a default judgment on almost R150,000 in unpaid credit card debt in May 2025, adding fuel to the fire.
The fallout after George’s axing has seen the Steenhuisen and the latter camps at loggerheads, with accusations flying back and forth in the media.
In a statement, Zille said all expenditure linked to the card had been fully reconciled.
“There is no prima facie evidence of misuse of party funds,” Zille said.
She added that a small number of personal expenses identified during the review had been explained and reimbursed.
Despite the findings, the DA confirmed that a separate inquiry will still proceed to determine whether Steenhuisen or George may have brought the party into disrepute following their public fallout.
Zille said the party’s federal legal commission had recommended that a disciplinary inquiry be instituted, a recommendation that was accepted by the federal executive.
The infighting between Steenhuisen, and George could also be damaging to the DA ahead of the local government elections at the end of the year.
The upcoming polls come as municipalities across the country face worsening service delivery challenges, including unreliable water supply, frequent electricity cuts, poor waste collection, and deteriorating roads.
The IEC announced that the next local elections are expected to take place between November 2, 2026, and January 31, 2027.
Since the 2024 general elections, the IEC has registered 34 new political parties, bringing the total number of registered parties in South Africa to 472 — the highest in the country’s history. Of these, 287 are registered nationally, while 185 operate at provincial, district, or metropolitan levels.