Another one! Steenhuisen no longer DA chief whip after Maimane's resignation

He said his term was linked to Mmusi Maimane’s: 'The chief whip is appointed by the leader. Since he announced his resignation from Parliament, my term ends.'

JOHANNESBURG - John Steenhuisen has told Eyewitness News he is no longer the chief whip of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Parliament.

He said his term was linked to Mmusi Maimane’s:.

“The chief whip is appointed by the leader. Since he announced his resignation from Parliament, my term ends.”

Maimane announced he was no longer a member of the DA and an MP earlier on Thursday.

The domino effect of Helen Zille's election as the party's Federal Council chair on Sunday has left the DA in a leadership crisis. The party is now without a national leader, a leader in parliament, a federal chairperson and a chief whip.

The DA's former CEO Paul Boughey resigned before the party's federal council last week.

On Monday, Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba announced his resignation as mayor and DA member after the outcome of the Federal Council that elected Zille as its chair, citing that he could not reconcile himself with a party that was against his pro-poor policies.

Two days after that, on Wednesday, Maimane announced his resignation as party leader, citing that he believed the DA was not the best vehicle to take South Africa forward.

As per its constitution, the DA's interim leader would be the federal chairperson. But Athol Trollip resigned on Wednesday along with Maimane.

How the party plans to tackle this constitutional conundrum is anyone's guess.