DA leaders accused of using state resources amid internal strife

The DA’s ongoing internal battles have exposed the party’s double standards, in which it has been accusing the ANC of using state resources in exchange for political support. 

These are the views of a political analyst, Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast, who said the party's senior leaders are also using state machinery in their factional battles ahead of its elective conference next year. 

This follows tensions between senior leaders escalating to the point of a formal complaint being filed with the Public Protector's office.

This is after Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, lodged a complaint against his DA predecessor, Dr Dion George, alleging the misuse of state resources for a political smear operation.

He is requesting an investigation into the alleged misuse of state resources by his immediate predecessor and his former staff.

Aucamp alleges the probe began when he assumed office and became aware of a baseless investigation into his private business affairs. This investigation, he claims, falsely sought to associate him with the lion breeding industry — an industry with which he states he has no connection. And he says it may have been politically motivated.

Aucamp was appointed in November after the DA’s leader, John Steenhuisen, asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove George as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. Steenhuisen cited “underperformance” and  “mismanagement” as the primary reasons for George's removal.

George denied these claims, suggesting his removal was a retaliatory move after he, in his capacity as the DA's federal finance chairperson, questioned Steenhuisen’s spending habits.

He alleged that he had to revoke Steenhuisen’s access to a party-issued credit card due to irreconcilable personal expenses, including Uber Eats orders. Simultaneously, Steenhuisen faced scrutiny over a May 2025 court default judgment for nearly R150,000 in unpaid personal debt. 

 The internal instability coincided with other senior removals, such as DA Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield of Trade, Industry and Competition, who was removed from his position in June 2025.

Breakfast said as the DA is preparing for the elective conference next year, Steenhuisen is using the state machinery to purge his rivals in exchange for political support.

He said Aucamp was also appointed to fight George. 

“But he might have forgotten that that one (George) has ammunition as the treasurer of the party. That is why he exposed that Steenhuisen has been abusing the party’s credit card,” said Breakfast, adding that the silence of the party's federal leader, Helen Zille, shows that Steenhuisen is no longer a favourite, and has appointed Aucamp as the Minister to benefit himself. 

“That appointment has nothing to do with the party. That is why I am saying state machinery has been used to dish out favours in exchange for political support,” he said. 

Governance expert and political analyst Sandile Swana said that although George has done well in terms of regulating wildlife, Steenhuisen and Aucamp had to deal with him as he conflicted with the vested interests within the DA, GNU and businesses.

Swana said this also shows that Steenhuisen is in politics of the stomach, adding that George has no chance of surviving this, as Steenhuisen has money, while he only has intellectual capital and sound technical arguments. 

Another political analyst, Professor Theo Neethling, said the current dispute increasingly resembles pre-conference manoeuvring, adding this suggests that internal rivalries are already shaping alignments and influencing perceptions of legitimacy and authority within the party.

Neethling added that Aucamp’s appointment is politically significant.  

“Aucamp’s appointment is politically significant. He had previously been appointed by Steenhuisen as a DA national spokesperson — a role that typically reflects trust, loyalty and close alignment with the party leader’s strategic messaging. His elevation to the cabinet, therefore, reinforces perceptions that Steenhuisen is consolidating influence around trusted allies at a time of growing internal contestation,” he said, adding that these developments suggest that the DA is entering a phase of heightened internal competition, with leadership authority, factional alignment and succession politics increasingly intersecting.  

DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said the party cannot comment as it does not know the basis of the allegations that the party is trading state resources for political gain.

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