Media Statement

The African National Congress (ANC) has noted the perturbing damning public allegations made by former DA leader John Steenhuisen, regarding attempts to capture the state by Tony Leon, in cahoots with former DA’s CEO Paul Boughey, through their PR Company Resolve Communications. He painted a picture of how they undertook lobbying activities on behalf of private interests, including matters relating to the government’s response to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Steenhuisen further alleged that DA Ministers were approached in connection with these lobbying efforts and suggested that tensions arising from these engagements contributed to the DA’s call for him to be removed from the Cabinet.

These allegations raise important questions about ethical governance, accountability and the assault on the integrity of democratic institutions. These are matters that deserve to be addressed openly and transparently in the interests of maintaining public confidence in government.

For too long, the Democratic Alliance has sought to frame corruption as a phenomenon primarily associated with black-led governments and institutions while projecting administrations under its control as inherently more ethical and accountable. This selective political narrative has contributed to the harmful perception that corruption is linked to race rather than to individual criminal conduct and systemic governance failures. Recent governance developments demonstrate that procurement irregularities, ethical lapses and governance weaknesses are not determined by race, geography or political affiliation, but are risks confronting every administration.

These allegations now before the public do not come from political opponents but from a former leader of the Democratic Alliance and a senior public representative. They therefore warrant the same level of scrutiny and accountability that the DA has consistently demanded of others. The ANC believes that no political party, public representative or sphere of government should be insulated from transparent public accountability whenever credible allegations arise.

The ANC has consistently maintained that corruption has no race, no political home and no place in South Africa’s constitutional democracy. Our programme of organisational renewal reaffirms our commitment to confronting corruption, strengthening oversight institutions, supporting law enforcement agencies andensuring that public office is exercised in accordance with the Constitution, the Executive Ethics Code and the rule of law. The fight against corruption must be principled, impartial and applied without fear or favour.

Accordingly, the ANC calls for a full and independent investigation into the allegations to establish all the facts and determine whether any laws, ethical obligations or governance standards have been breached. All relevant institutions must be allowed to perform their constitutional responsibilities without interference or political favour. There cannot be one standard of accountability for black-led organisations and another for the Democratic Alliance. The Constitution guarantees equality before the law, and the integrity of South Africa’s democracy depends on every public representative being held to the same ethical and constitutional standards, irrespective of political affiliation.

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