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In the hot seat — John Steenhuisen on ‘very challenging’ GNU talks, his qualifications and priorities as new Minister

In the hot seat — John Steenhuisen on ‘very challenging’ GNU talks, his qualifications and priorities as new Minister
John Steenhuisen during the Democratic Alliance (DA) manifesto launch at the Rand Stadium on February 23, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Netwerk24 / Deaan Vivier)
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
2 Jul 2024
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The DA has clinched six Cabinet positions and six deputy minister roles in the government of national unity. DA leader John Steenhuisen, the new agriculture minister, spoke to Daily Maverick about protracted GNU talks as well as his new role in the national executive.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhusien is on an extra-tight schedule after being appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday. Daily Maverick asked him six questions in a 15-minute phone conversation.

How difficult was it for the DA to finally reach an agreement with the ANC? 


It was very challenging and is certainly new territory for both the parties. We have never negotiated a national coalition and we certainly have never negotiated with the ANC before. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Protracted talks, stalemate, leaked letters

I think it was new, it was sounding each other out and very difficult. I think the realisation set between us was that we need to rescue the country and the alternative configuration would have been far worse than the difficulties we were facing. 

Steenhuisen DA leader John Steenhuisen at the party's election closing rally at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on 26 May 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Laird Forbes)


What were the key learnings for you as a leader and for the DA?


You always need to make sure that you have a strong negotiating team. I made sure we had that and that was a lesson we learnt from the previous rounds of negotiations we had with other parties and the Multi-Party Charter. Bringing your party with you throughout the process is very important – you cannot rush ahead and start doing things without consulting the party. 

Now that you have been appointed minister, a big criticism is around your qualifications (Steenhuisen has no tertiary education). Obviously this is politicking. What is your reaction? 


I think people can judge me through the job I do. I have been in this game long enough to know that critics will always throw stones and ministers do not have to have specific qualifications. Nowhere in the world is this a requirement. Trevor Manuel was one of our most successful finance ministers but did not have a background in finance. It is about the ability to get to grips with the problem and get solutions. If I get that right, no one will be worried about what piece of paper you have on the wall or letters in front or behind your name, they just want you to deliver.

Steenhuisen DA leader John Steenhuisen. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg via Getty Images)


Do you anticipate problems with administrators and staffers who are more accustomed to working with ANC leaders?


Of course, it is natural. It is what we experienced in the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape and this is what we are experiencing in the City of Tshwane. It is not easy, but we think that you have to distinguish people who are fit for purpose, and yes, they might belong to other political parties and they might have different loyalties. What we are going to see in the Agriculture Department is the director-general stays in agriculture or goes to Rural Development. 

Certainly there are obstructive people who are trying to undermine the work the ministers are trying to do. There should be a forum in Cabinet where we will be able to raise that, to say this is not working. If you do not have a good relationship with the DG in the department, it can paralyse it. I do not think anyone wants to see that.

What are your top five priorities for the agriculture sector?



  • Accelerating the agriculture and agro processing master plan. I know there is desire often from new ministers just coming and wanting to reinvent the wheel. In 2022 the plan was developed and I think it is very good;

  • Making sure there is an open-door policy to the organised agriculture sectors, organisations that represent new and emerging farmers, and to make sure there is a constructive partnership between the minister’s office and these organisations;

  • We will have to look at constraints and bottlenecks in the sector. These largely rest with other ministries but I think that an agriculture minister with a loud voice in Cabinet would be able to deal with these issues [such as] infrastructure, railroads, ports and harbours;

  • Dealing with stock theft and security issues is going to be very important, and again we will be dealing with other ministers, police, defence and public works which deal with border control; and

  • Making sure we deal with food security. I think it requires a well- managed sectoral intervention, and being able to bring policy certainty around property ownership and security of tenure to the sector, to give confidence to expand investment, will be important.


John Steenhuisen during the DA's manifesto launch at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on 23 February 2019. (Photo: Gallo Images / Netwerk24 / Deaan Vivier)


How will you be dealing with farm killings in the country? (AfriForum’s latest report records 49 farm murders and 296 attacks in 2023)


Although it is the responsibility of the police, I know that a lot of the organised farmers have had to set up rural safety networks. We will have to see how to support those to be able to fight crime. We also need greater cooperation from the SA National Defence Force and SA Police Service. We have a great plan to fight crime which includes the introduction of new technology that can make policing easier – things like drone technology which can make it easier to monitor large areas of agricultural land. DM

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