{"id":103602,"date":"2026-02-08T19:59:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T17:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=103602"},"modified":"2026-02-08T19:59:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T17:59:47","slug":"asri-report-da-leadership-shake-up-exposes-deepening-party-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/asri-report-da-leadership-shake-up-exposes-deepening-party-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"ASRI Report: DA leadership shake-up exposes deepening party crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n4-minute read
\n06 February 2026<\/p>\n

\"\"

Political analyst Dr Imraan Buccus weighs in on the DA\u2019s leadership shake-up, Helen Zille\u2019s influence, and what it could mean for the party ahead of the 2026 local elections.<\/p><\/div>\n

Political analyst Dr Imraan Buccus says the reported exit of Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen is less about one individual and more about a party battling a serious internal crisis – with power struggles, factional tensions, and uncertainty ahead of the 2026 local government elections.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/em> during the ASRI Report<\/em>,<\/a> Buccus said the DA has long attempted to project itself as a party of \u201ccompetence, efficiency\u201d and cohesive leadership. However, recent developments suggest a party under strain.<\/p>\n

Buccus believes the leadership change reinforces what many observers have long suspected that the real power in the DA sits with long-time party figure Helen Zille, rather than with the party leader. \u201cI think so,\u201d Buccus said, when asked whether this confirms Zille\u2019s dominance in the party.<\/p>\n

He explained that the DA appears to be operating with two centres of power, similar to what South Africans have often associated with the ANC. According to Buccus, the DA\u2019s Federal Council now holds significant influence, possibly even more than in previous eras under Zille herself or former leader Tony Leon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere certainly are two centres of power in the DA. And much of that power lies with Helen Zille,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Buccus also reflected on whether Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis could expand the DA\u2019s support or entrench its existing electoral base. While he said this is difficult to predict, he noted that Hill-Lewis is a very different figure from Steenhuisen and may bring new energy and a generational shift.<\/p>\n

However, Buccus warned the DA remains burdened by long-standing criticism particularly that its governance success in the Western Cape largely benefits \u201cthe privileged class a white middle class,\u201d while working-class communities continue to experience poorer service delivery. He acknowledged that under Hill-Lewis, the DA has spent \u201cbillions\u201d in township areas, but said the party\u2019s messaging of \u201cCape Town working\u201d still rings hollow for many.<\/p>\n

One of Buccus\u2019 strongest critiques was that the DA has failed to meaningfully target the black middle class, which he described as rapidly growing and now larger than the white middle class. \u201cThere\u2019s been an explosion there between five and seven million,\u201d he said, adding that no party can succeed electorally in South Africa while relying primarily on the white vote.<\/p>\n

Buccus was blunt about Hill-Lewis reportedly wanting to retain his mayorship while also taking over the party leadership. \u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d he said, warning that the responsibilities of party leadership are too demanding, especially at a time when the DA is \u201cat a critical juncture\u201d and struggling to improve electorally.<\/p>\n

He stressed the party needs full-time leadership focus, and that the Western Cape where the DA holds its strongest support also requires dedicated governance.<\/p>\n

Buccus said the leadership change signals a \u201chuge crisis\u201d in the DA, including factional divides over the Government of National Unity (GNU) and how aggressively the DA should position itself against the ANC. While he stopped short of calling it outright panic, he said there are \u201cconcerns within the DA\u201d and predicted further changes, including the likelihood that Zille will not remain federal chair indefinitely.<\/p>\n

He said the DA remains a liberal party, and any ideological shift will likely be limited. However, he believes Hill-Lewis may bring a more socially conscious approach. \u201cI see him more as a social democrat,\u201d Buccus said, suggesting Hill-Lewis may be more open to increased spending in poorer and working-class communities a move that could reshape how the DA applies its liberal ideology.<\/p>\n

The interview ended with discussion around Buccus\u2019 book, Promises and Peril, The South African Crisis<\/em>, where he reflects on corruption as a global structural issue. \u201cCorruption is a global and often structural problem deeply connected to the global crisis of attacks on democracy and the rise of neoliberalism,\u201d Buccus said, pointing to examples in Brazil, India, and the United States.<\/p>\n

He added that corruption is not limited to the Global South, describing it as a \u201chuge, huge problem\u201d even in wealthier nations.<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full ASRI Report<\/em> <\/a>on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat and Dr Imraan Buccus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 4-minute read 06 February 2026 Political analyst Dr Imraan Buccus says the reported exit of Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen is less about one individual and more about a party battling a serious internal crisis – with power struggles, factional tensions, and uncertainty ahead of the 2026 local government elections. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":103603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ASRI-Report.jpeg?fit=1600%2C1600&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-qX0","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-13 11:29:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}