Tony Leon warns DA infighting raises questions about party unity and leadership

Tensions within the Democratic Alliance (DA) are once again in the spotlight, as a dispute between party leader John Steenhuisen and finance committee chair Dion George escalates.

Allegations that George was removed from his position under questionable circumstances have now been referred to the Public Protector.

Meanwhile, Steenhuisen has been cleared of misappropriating party funds, an allegation made by George shortly after he was fired as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

A preliminary investigation into the matter was led by the Chairperson of the Federal Legal Commission, Glynnis Breytenbach.

But neither Steenhuisen nor George are out of the woods yet. The DA's Federal Executive accepted a recommendation to launch a disciplinary inquiry into the pair who breached the party's federal constitution by bringing the party into disrepute.

A Business Day article has referred to the spat as 'open war' and political analysts warn that the ongoing internal conflict risks damaging the DA’s credibility.

Former MP and DA leader Tony Leon said there's certainly tension within the party.

"I think tension is the right word. Whether it's a war or a local skirmish, one can't say."

He admitted that it is 'unfortunate' that senior members of the party are making headlines for being at loggerheads and also questions the use of public institutions, such as the Public Protector, to deal with such issues.

It's a 'bad look', he said.

"Tony Blair said of in-fighting, the minute you start looking inwards, you lose because you stop speaking to the voters. Voters punish parties who appear more interested in themselves than in governing."

Leon noted that a lot of time is being spent dealing with the internal spats of the party and says public disagreements can shape voter perceptions and weaken confidence ahead of future elections.

"That last investigation took six or seven weeks to finalise. You really don't want to spend another six or seven weeks on the next inquiry, because that then further takes you away from your core job, which is to deal with voters' interests and not your own."

Leon also noted the timing of such tensions as it relates to the DA's forthcoming leadership race, but adds that in any healthy political party, 'there's always going to be a difference of opinion'.

To listen to Leon in conversation with CapeTalk's John Maytham, use the audio player below: