DA investigation clears John Steenhuisen of party credit card abuse allegations
The Democratic Alliance says an internal probe found no evidence that leader John Steenhuisen misused party funds, but a separate inquiry into whether party leaders brought the organisation into disrepute will proceed.
Image: File Phando Jikelo / Parliament of RSA
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen has been cleared of allegations that he abused a party credit card following an internal investigation by the party’s leadership.
The DA’s federal executive met on Monday to consider the matter and accepted findings that found no evidence of misappropriation of party funds.
The issue comes after last year’s scrutiny of Steenhuisen’s personal finances.
IOL previously reported that Steenhuisen, who serves as Minister of Agriculture, had a default judgment granted against him in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court in May for nearly R150,000 in unpaid personal credit card debt, despite earning a ministerial salary of more than R2.6 million per year.
According to a Daily Maverick report at the time, the judgment related solely to personal debt. It was also alleged that the DA’s federal finance committee removed his party credit card earlier last year after the account could not be reconciled.
In a statement, federal executive chairperson Helen 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 former minister Dion 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.
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