John Steenhuisen

John Henry Steenhuisen (born 25 March 1976) is a South African politician who has served as the twentieth leader of the Opposition since October 2019 and has been the leader of the Democratic Alliance since November 2020, having served as the interim leader for one year from November 2019.

Steenhuisen was born in Durban and matriculated from Northwood Boys' High School, an English-medium high school in Durban in 1993.

He does not have a university degree.

He once told Parliament that he had enrolled for a bachelor's degree in politics and law at the University of South Africa in 1994, but he could not finish the course due to work and financial circumstances.

Steenhuisen started as an ordinary Democratic Party (predecessor to the Democratic Alliance) activist before he became a branch member.

Steenhuisen joined the Democratic Party and was elected to the Durban City Council in 1999 as the councillor for Durban North.

At the age of 22 in 1999, Steenhuisen was elected to the then Durban City Council as the DP councillor for Durban North.

He was the youngest municipal councillor at that time.

In 2000, the Democratic Alliance was formed, and he was elected as a councillor of the newly formed eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in that year's municipal election.

At the 2000 municipal election, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality was formed and Steenhuisen was elected as a councillor for the newly established DA.

He was appointed as the DA's caucus leader in 2006.

He continued to serve as an ordinary councillor until his appointment as the DA's caucus leader in 2006.

In that same year, he was assigned to serve on the city's Executive Committee.

After the 2009 elections, he became a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and was appointed the DA's caucus leader.

Steenhuisen was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in the 2009 general election. The incoming DA caucus elected him as leader, replacing party veteran, Roger Burrows.

At the inaugural sitting, he challenged Zweli Mkhize of the African National Congress for the post of premier, but lost after he received 7 votes compared to Mkhize's 68 votes.

He was elected as the KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance at the party's Provincial Congress held later that same year.

Soon after, Steenhuisen was elected as the party's KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader, a position he held until he resigned in October 2010, amid an extramarital affair.

Steenhuisen held this position until 24 October 2010, after he announced on 18 October his intention to resign amid the disclosure of an extramarital affair.

Steenhuisen continued to serve as an MPL and the DA's caucus leader until his move to the National Assembly.

He joined the National Assembly in July 2011, and he became the Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in February 2012 following his appointment by Lindiwe Mazibuko.

Steenhuisen joined the National Assembly on 19 July 2011 by replacing Mark Steele, a DA MP who, in turn, assumed Steenhuisen's seat in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.

In February 2012, Steenhuisen was appointed by Lindiwe Mazibuko as Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

He is currently a member of the Rules Committee.

He had previously served as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management.

In 2012, he declared his candidacy for deputy chairperson of the DA Federal Council.

He lost to Thomas Walters at the party's Federal Congress.

He was chief whip of the official opposition from May 2014 until October 2019.

Born in Durban, he matriculated from Northwood Boys' High School.

In 2014, Steenhuisen was appointed Chief Whip of the Official Opposition by Mmusi Maimane, the newly elected DA Parliamentary Leader and Leader of the Official Opposition.

Steenhuisen was appointed as chief whip of the DA parliamentary caucus by Mmusi Maimane on 29 May 2014.

He served as Chief Whip until October 2019, when Maimane resigned as the official opposition leader and party leader.

Shortly afterwards, Steenhuisen was elected unopposed to replace him as the Leader of the Opposition.

In November 2019, he was elected interim leader of the DA, after he defeated Makashule Gana, a DA MPL in Gauteng.

A year later, he was elected leader for a full term at the party's Federal Congress, defeating Mbali Ntuli, a DA MPL from KwaZulu-Natal.

He was re-elected to another term as party leader on 2 April 2023.

He was reappointed to the post in May 2019.

Mmusi Maimane resigned as both Federal Leader and Parliamentary Leader of the DA in October 2019, causing Steenhuisen to lose the position of chief whip.

Steenhuisen's deputy, Jacques Julius, then served as acting chief whip.

Steenhuisen declared his candidacy to succeed Maimane as parliamentary leader and was elected unopposed on 27 October 2019.