DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has officially requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa remove John Steenhuisen as Minister of Agriculture, in a reshuffling of the party's Government of National Unity (GNU) team, with Willie Aucamp proposed to take over Steenhuisen’s role.

Aucamp moves from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to become the Minister of Agriculture.

Hill-Lewis said his immediate focus would be to resolve ongoing legal proceedings relating to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and accelerate market expansion for agricultural exports.

Steenhuisen will assume the role of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

Meanwhile, David Maynier will take up the position of Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, stepping in to fill the vacancy left by Aucamp.

Alexandra Abrahams moves from Trade, Industry and Competition to take up a key position as Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy.

Yusuf Cassim is appointed as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, bringing his extensive background in student politics to the post, while Jack Bloom, a veteran of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, will take up the position of Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation.

In his formal correspondence to Ramaphosa, Hill-Lewis emphasised that these structural adjustments followed a careful assessment of the DA’s executive team performance.

"It is my judgement that the renewed team announced today will strengthen the DA’s contribution to government and give better effect to the mandate received from 3.5-million voters," Hill-Lewis explained.

He added that public office required high performance, absolute integrity, and responsiveness to create an open, opportunity-filled society for all South Africans.