Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen has confirmed that he will not seek re-election at the party’s federal congress in April, saying he wants to dedicate his full attention to his work as Minister of Agriculture.

Reports had circulated since Tuesday that he would make the announcement, and he confirmed it in a public address on Wednesday morning.

Steenhuisen reflected on the party’s journey from opposition benches to national government, saying he once never imagined the DA would “walk up the steps of the Union Buildings”.

He said the DA had long strived to gain access to “the levers of power” to help build a fairer and more prosperous South Africa, moving from “mere opposition” to playing a direct role in shaping the country’s future.

Steenhuisen pointed to 2019 as a turning point when the party set its sights on entering national government, and to his re-election in 2023, when he declared the DA was ready to take a political “moonshot” by embracing coalition politics.

He argued that the DA’s decision to help form the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the ANC lost its majority, amid the rise of the MK Party, was the party’s “single greatest achievement”.

“Against all the odds, and with the support of 3.5 million voters, we helped usher South Africa into a new era of coalition governance,” Steenhuisen said, describing the DA as a leading partner in the GNU.

He credited the coalition government with helping stabilise the economy, including fighting off a VAT increase, contributing to renewed economic growth, and improvements such as South Africa’s first credit rating upgrade in two decades and removal from the FATF grey list. He also said unemployment had begun to decline.

“However you slice it, South Africa is better today than it was on the eve of the 2024 elections,” he said.

Steenhuisen added that the GNU had opened new export markets and that, in his current role, he is working “scientifically and decisively” to combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which he described as a top priority for the agricultural sector.

He also highlighted gains made in other portfolios where DA Ministers serve, including Basic Education, Home Affairs, Communications and Digital Technologies.

He said leading the DA into the national government had fulfilled the mandate he set when first elected leader in 2019.

“A leader’s job is to identify and grow talent,” he said, expressing pride in the team he has helped build and in the DA’s growth as a party that “transcends race and class” and seeks to serve all South Africans.

While acknowledging internal opposition to the DA’s coalition strategy, Steenhuisen warned that the threat of a so-called “doomsday coalition” involving parties like MK and the EFF had not disappeared, and urged South Africans to put the country ahead of factional battles.

“This is not the end of the road for me or for the DA,” he said. “The next mission is to build on this legacy and turn the DA into the biggest party in South Africa.”

Steenhuisen said that for the remainder of his term in Parliament, he would focus fully on his duties as Agriculture Minister, particularly on a mass vaccination rollout to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease.

“Defeating FMD is not a part-time job. It would not be fair to farmers for me to split my focus,” he said.

Steenhuisen has faced legal challenges from farmer unions who argued that the response to FMD was inadequate and slow.

He described it as “the honour of a lifetime” to have led the DA to government and said the party’s next leader would have his full support.

Teenagers between 14 and 16 years of age make up a large number of those who are missing or have died in water-related incidents last week.  

This is according to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), which confirmed that at least ten people have drowned or have been reported missing in bodies of water across South Africa between 25 January and 1 February. 

This is because rescue teams responded to more than 30 incidents nationwide during that time frame.  

The incidents were recorded across KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. 

“This has been an extremely difficult week… Each of these tragedies is a stark reminder that water activities are never without risk,” said NSRI Chief Operating Officer, Brett Ayres.

The NSRI noted a recurring pattern in these incidents, including swimming at unguarded beaches, failure to recognise rip currents and bystanders getting into trouble while attempting rescues, said Andrew Ingram, NSRI Communications Manager, in a statement. 

Regarding rip currents, Ingram said they are difficult to spot and very dangerous, “especially when combined with a spring tide, which we experienced last week”.  

“Rip currents are fast, narrow channels of water that pull swimmers away from the shore,” said Ingram.  

At the same time, incidents recorded this week were not limited to the ocean, highlighting the danger in inland waters as well. 

Two fatal drownings occurred in dams, including one on Table Mountain and another at Kanana Dam near Rustenburg. 

READ MORE: 3 dead, 2 missing after incidents at sea across the Western Cape – Smile 90.4FM

“The two drownings in dams are a painful reminder that inland water can be just as hazardous, even when it appears shallow and calm,” said Ingram.  

Meanwhile, 39 people were rescued last week, including a mass rescue of nine people at Kleinmond Main Beach.  

With summer still in full swing, the NSRI has reminded the public that safety is everyone’s responsibility and urged them to heed safety tips.  

“We’re urging the public to stay vigilant. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty. Swimming after drinking alcohol puts your life at significant risk. Never attempt a rescue without flotation. And remember, rivers and dams can be just as dangerous as the sea,” said Ingram.  

The National Minister for Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth has confirmed that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will increase to R30.23 per hour, effective 1 March 2026.

The amended NMW was published in the Government Gazette on Tuesday, 3 February, following a period of public participation.

It effectively represents a 5% increase – reflecting an increase of the November annual consumer inflation rate (3,5%) plus 1.5 percentage points.

The R1,44 upward move will benefit all workers, including vulnerable farm workers and domestic workers.

Excluded from the NMW increase are workers employed on an expanded public works programme. Because the EPWP workers are employed under a special dispensation, their adjustment will rise from R15,16 per hour to a minimum wage of R16,62 per hour.

Minister Meth says any violation of the National Minimum Wage Act will be subject to fines:

“The NMW is the floor which an employer is legally obligated to remunerate employees for work done. No employee shall be paid below the National Minimum Wage. It cannot be varied by contract, collective agreement or law; and it is also an unfair labour practice for an employer to unilaterally alter hours of work or other conditions of employment in implementing the NMW.”

Meanwhile, AgriSA says while it supports fair and decent wages for farmworkers, this announcement comes at a time of uncertainty for South African agriculture, as the sector is experiencing real and measurable economic losses arising from the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak and ongoing biosecurity challenges.

The livestock industry accounts for between 40% and 45% of agriculture’s contribution to GDP.

AgriSA says the timing of the adjustment will put additional pressure on a sector already under strain.

CEO Johann Kotzé says the sector is emerging from consecutive years of contraction caused by drought, climate volatility, and animal disease outbreaks.

“AgriSA has consistently emphasised that wage policy must be sector-responsive and implementation-aware, particularly in periods of systemic risk such as the current FMD crisis. While the organisation engaged constructively throughout the National Minimum Wage review process, it remains concerned that above-inflation adjustments implemented during a period of animal health emergency may place additional strain on jobs, farm viability, and rural economies.”

For a breakdown of the new National Minimum Wage by sector, click HERE.