Our former chief whip in Parliament, famed for his witty wordplay, has been elected leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament, as well as interim DA leader!

Upon his election, John declared that we have an opportunity to rebuild the DA, and we must use it: 

“The DA is not in a fight over ideology or a fight for power. Our fight is to push back against the tide of poverty that has engulfed the lives of so many men, women and children in our country.

Our fight is for the prosperity and the dignity of millions of South Africans who are still waiting for their freedom.

I know that the DA has both the people and the ideas to win this fight. That’s why it is critical that we waste no time in turning our setback into a comeback.”

The key to success, John says, is perseverance: “there are no shortcuts to success – not for the DA, and not for South Africa!

Under his leadership, he will ensure that the DA is a party that is willing to do the hard yards, emboldened to speak up for the rational, evidence-based answers to South Africa’s problems.

Watch: John Steenhuisen on race-based policies