John Steenhuisen wins DA interim leader position

[TheChamp]

John Steenhuisen: 'I'm not a handbag carrier for Helen Zille'

The DA's interim federal leader John Steenhuisen says he is not a "handbag carrier for Helen Zille" and will lead the party in his own way. On Sunday, Steenhuisen was elected federal leader until the party elects a new cohort of leadership at its congress in May 2020.

Speaking to News24 in a wide-ranging interview on Monday afternoon, he said "if everyone sticks to their knitting in the party", all leaders would "get along just fine".

John Steenhuisen: 'I'm not a handbag carrier for Helen Zille' | News24

The DA's John Steenhuisen speaks to News24 in a live interview, 24 hours after his election as interim leader.

m.news24.com

 

[surface]

John Steenhuisen: 'I'm not a handbag carrier for Helen Zille'

Oh John - that is fine but must you throw down the twitter gauntlet? Have you learnt nothing from civilizations that have crumbled?

"I'm the elected leader of the DA - interim for now, hopefully permanently after May next year. And I'm going to lead the DA in my own way and in a way in which I believe is going to grow the organisation, build strong teams and create a consensus, and an environment in which we can have honest conversations within the party without having to speak to each other through the media, or through Twitter and Facebook."

 

[TheChamp]

John is provoking the Madam here, the comments about not being her handbag carrier are uncalled for.

 

[Mrcricket]

John is provoking the Madam here, the comments about not being her handbag carrier are uncalled for.

Yes, he will have to be careful about everything he says about the Madam or he could soon follow in the foot-steps of MM and Lindiwe Mazibuko.

 

[Mrcricket]

My too, he will diffenitly attract voters away from the ANC.

Probably more from the DA.

 

[surface]

Yes, he will have to be careful about everything he says about the Madam or he could soon follow in the foot-steps of MM and Lindiwe Mazibuko.

1. Not a handbag carrier 2. Race does matter.

He got 2 demerit points already. Not sure how many accumulate towards rustication but no doubt we will find out.

 

[ShaunSA]

He's not a handbag carrier but he wants to knit

 

[TheChamp]

Yes, he will have to be careful about everything he says about the Madam or he could soon follow in the foot-steps of MM and Lindiwe Mazibuko.

It is slightly different though, Maimane and Lindiwe are both Zille's creations, Steenhuisen is not.

 

[ShaunSA]

It is slightly different though, Maimane and Lindiwe are both Zille's creations, Steenhuisen is not, he was not.

He's also white

 

[Mrcricket]

He's also white

If he has a clash with her, she probably won't get away as unscathed as she did with MM and LZ. The DA's conservative base (which is its majority) largely backed her. But with Steenhuisen, there could be a shift in that regard as he is very popular among the conservative base of the party.

A clash between the two will almost certainly result in a breakaway which will severely harm the DA more so than anyone else who has left. The DA will have to manage their personalities very carefully during the coming months/years.

I lean towards the conservative base standing with Steenhuisen this time if a clash with HZ occurs. They will probably use the logic that she is older now and needs to retire.

 

[BBSA]

Probably more from the DA.

Maybe, but as long as Mmusi takes voters away from the ANC it is all good.

 

[Mrcricket]

Maybe, but as long as Mmusi takes voters away from the ANC it is all good.

He was never viewed positively by the ANC or black middle class anyway. If you are a DA supporter, you should be more concerned.

 

[BBSA]

He was never viewed positively by the ANC or black middle class anyway. If you are a DA supporter, you should be more concerned.

I'm not a DA supporter. I see a vote for Mmusi as a vote against the anc, so that is just fine in my book.

 

[ShaunSA]

Maybe, but as long as Mmusi takes voters away from the ANC it is all good.

I doubt Mmmusi's going to be taking much votes from anyone tbh.

 

[TheChamp]

He was never viewed positively by the ANC or black middle class anyway. If you are a DA supporter, you should be more concerned.

You will never understand the logic from some people here, the ANC is the elephant, it is the opposition that cannot afford to lose even one vote.

 

[BBSA]

I doubt Mmmusi's going to be taking much votes from anyone tbh.

Agree, but even a few less anc voters is a win.

 

[TheChamp]

I'm not a DA supporter. I see a vote for Mmusi as a vote against the anc, so that is just fine in my book.

But I thought people were coming back to their DA now, Mmusi is gone and so is his identity politics, what more do you want?

 

[ShaunSA]

But I thought people were coming back to their DA now, Mmusi is gone and so is his identity politics, what more do you want?

Wasn't @BBSA a purple cow supporter? Or have I got him confused now with someone else

 

[BBSA]

But I thought people were coming back to their DA now, Mmusi is gone and so is his identity politics, what more do you want?

If they drop this stupid race is a proxy for disadvantage thing, I might vote for them again.

 

[TheChamp]

Wasn't @BBSA a purple cow supporter? Or have I got him confused now with someone else

I thought he is a disgruntled DA supporter who went to the Purple Cow out of sheer disillusionment with Maimane and his identity politics?